Umpiring standards 2019

[Chaisa]

Has been poor this year. Should go down to two umpires. Not even joking.

 

[carloss]

How to explain AFL umpiring in 2019 to cricket fans

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

People who have followed the game for many years remember the days when an umpire saw a free kick, in accordance with the written rule, and just paid it. These days they look straight at an infringement, and decide whether they will pay it or not. All that does is add food for thought that the AFL would like certain teams to win. Don't blame the umpires, they are only acting under instructions from the big boss.

 

[adammania9]

What’s embarrassing was the Essendon supporters Bronx cheering whenever they received a free kick

 

[FISTO]

Last night was straight up corruption.

Incompetence usually runs bad both ways.

 

[caloschwaby]

Essendon favoured by umps?
Oh boy I'll get the popcorn

 

[irish]

absolute rubbish last night , I don't follow either club but it was obvious the bias towards essendon , be very angry if I was a GWS fan

 

[MJG14]

Mathew Nicholls has far too much influence on the matches he umpires.

 

[footy75]

umpiring was fine for crows v geelong. They let it go and payed the obvious and let the players decide the outcome.

if those umpires umpired the thursday night game gws would have 4 extra points.

 

[Eastern Rangers]

Consistency within games is becoming an issue. That’s what usually sets the AFL apart from lower leagues.

Today the Hawks got two frees from trips, one of them a little dubious if I recall. Towards the end of the game both Gaff and Yeo got legged.

 

[Simon_Says]

Its ******* disgusting

 

[Oscarman]

Absolutely lost my s**t yesterday with Viney and Oliver being held at every stoppage and not getting frees.

 

[david addison]

What happened to contact below the knees this weekend? Have they cancelled the rule?

The umps are shying away from paying 'in the back' in marking contests now that the 'hands in the back' rule is no more. Players are getting away with a hell of a lot.

How did the Cats ruckmen get away with holding their opponents arm at throw-ins in the first quarter?

During the ad break after Tim Kelly's 'goal' I thought to myself that they'll review it & make a terrible decision. And they did! Singularly the funniest moment of the season thus far. For the record, Jordon Lewis was happy with the process and outcome of the Tim Kelly 'goal'. Nick Riewoldt rightfully thought it was farcical.

At a throw in I heard the umpire not only acknowledge who the two ruckmen would be, but he told them where the throw in would likely land so they could wait in the correct position, plus he explained to them that if they punch the ball back over the line on the full it would be a free kick against. I see a time when the two ruckmen turn to the field umpire and tell him to shut the * up. And so they should. Why are the umps coaching players? There's no need for them to say a single word for the two hours.

The goal review stuff up at the pies freo game a few weeks ago was the fault of the umpire. He asked for a goal line review instead of asking for vision off the boot. And he stuffed up because he was more interested in keeping the game moving, no doubt pressured by the afl to do so. He trotted back to the middle of the ground, pleading players of both teams to follow him.

Cox gets penalised for knocking his opponent off the line of the ball, but doesn't get a free when he gets knocked off the line (which is almost every marking contest) and I've had a gutful. Pay it both ways.

 

[Scroater]

Absolutely lost my **** yesterday with Viney and Oliver being held at every stoppage and not getting frees.

All play makers get held. It's just a matter of which play maker the umpire wants to pay the free kick to.
Sloane gets held. Pendlebury gets held. Cripps gets held. Bontempelli gets held. Martin gets held. Dangerfield gets held.
But if a defender wraps both arms around a forward, they're red hot.

 

[RedBullRacing]

Someone please let me know the rules of the game regarding deliberate.

If you're in a contest can you spoil the ball out? I've seen several in the last two weeks that are utter bullshit and have been given deliberate.

 

[skipper kelly]

Someone please let me know the rules of the game regarding deliberate.

If you're in a contest can you spoil the ball out? I've seen several in the last two weeks that are utter bulls**t and have been given deliberate.

Marking contest.

 

[Mister B]

The standard is absolutely and utterly s**t. Today's game was a ******* joke. The Tippa push in the back, the ruck free against Allir both led directly to goals. 3 HTB decisions where there was no prior including one from a dangerous tackle, and one which was followed immediately by a Bombers player tackled twice before dropping the ball that was called play on. No 50 to Dawson from a charge after he'd marked it, plus a non 50 right on half time for a similar incident. Of all of those frees, it was Dalgleish that was the controlling umpire in 75% of them. Either completely incompetent or should be investigated for match fixing.

 

[Oscarman]

The standard is absolutely and utterly s**t. Today's game was a ******* joke. The Tippa push in the back, the ruck free against Allir both led directly to goals. 3 HTB decisions where there was no prior including one from a dangerous tackle, and one which was followed immediately by a Bombers player tackled twice before dropping the ball that was called play on. No 50 to Dawson from a charge after he'd marked it, plus a non 50 right on half time for a similar incident. Of all of those frees, it was Dalgleish that was the controlling umpire in 75% of them. Either completely incompetent or should be investigated for match fixing.

It's getting very close to match fixing. Results are being influenced to manipulate ladder positions.

 

[kickthething]

It’s the biggest blight on the game at the moment. AFL admin is totally unaccountable and is so smitten with gambling revenue they do not want to see any issue. Our game. (Yeah....right) is in a state of turmoil and the care factor in the league diminishes decision by decision. It impacts every club and well over 50 percent of games.

Whilst we get the ...it’s the hardest game in the world to umpire bs....the decisions and non decisions are coming from umpires who are in good position and can make very easy calls....it’s not the difficult decisions that are the issue.

Accept this mediocrity and the standard will continue to find a new low.

 

[Mister B]

It's getting very close to match fixing. Results are being influenced to manipulate ladder positions.

These are the same people that tried to warn Essendon of impending drugs investigation allowing them time to destroy evidence. These are the same people that told the swans they would make them pay for getting Franklin and then slugged them with trading penalties despite acknowledging they did nothing wrong and were within the rules the whole time. Same people fined Melbourne for tanking while telling the world they didn't tank. Every saw the Prelim and Grand Final in 2016. Sadly, because it was non-Vic teams that copped the raw end everyone laughed it off. That was the time for the footy community to stand up and call it out. They didn't and it gave the AFL free licence to do as they please without being held to account. I've said it before. If I didn't love my club so much, I would have walked away from the sport by now.

 

[flyinghi64]

These are the same people that tried to warn Essendon of impending drugs investigation allowing them time to destroy evidence. These are the same people that told the swans they would make them pay for getting Franklin and then slugged them with trading penalties despite acknowledging they did nothing wrong and were within the rules the whole time. Same people fined Melbourne for tanking while telling the world they didn't tank. Every saw the Prelim and Grand Final in 2016. Sadly, because it was non-Vic teams that copped the raw end everyone laughed it off. That was the time for the footy community to stand up and call it out. They didn't and it gave the AFL free licence to do as they please without being held to account. I've said it before. If I didn't love my club so much, I would have walked away from the sport by now.

Yep agreed. We also had that "Injunction" about a certain club with several players who had positive drug tests and the media where about to go nuts until the AFL went nah not saying anything. Now that is all swept under the carpet at AFL house. There must be a massive bulge under that carpet.

Then there is the whole travelling thing where some teams leave their state just a handful of times but that is a conversation for another time and thread.

 

[Aramis]

People who have followed the game for many years remember the days when an umpire saw a free kick, in accordance with the written rule, and just paid it. These days they look straight at an infringement, and decide whether they will pay it or not. All that does is add food for thought that the AFL would like certain teams to win. Don't blame the umpires, they are only acting under instructions from the big boss.

Its not that they are acting on a directive, its just the rules have become some complex and broad in their interpretations that the umpire has to be thinking of a million things at once. They really need to simplify the rules big time and take out any elements where the umpire needs to assess subjective intent of a player.. such as "deliberate out of bounds"... honestly, how on earth can this ever properly be assessed?

 

[DrPowellPepper]

Im absolutely fed up with the umpires.
How often do you see a player get run down after a fantastic chase the player drops their legs and what should be holding the ball decision is paid in the back for a tackle that is not dangerous in any way and a maybe slightly in the back at best .That imo is lack of feel for the game .
10 mins later then the umpires miss incidents like (pics) this when a player is slammed into the back in a tackle.
There is no excuse to miss that free just s**t officiating. We are seeing not just different interpretations between rounds or games but during games which is not good enough.

 

[mcglede]

I'm currently at the Gold Coast-Adelaide game and it is clear umpire 32 (Mollison?) has been advised to give Gold Coast as much help as possible.

His only free in the first quarter to Adelaide was for a push...which was there...however the Adelaide player had already taken the mark and the question had to be asked if a fifty was in order.

Here's a problem for the AFL.

With inconsistent officiating, how are you going to teach people going to Suns matches for the first time the rules? The potential is hightened for them to get confused, disillusioned with the game and walk away.

I get that if a team kicks a few early the opposition gets immediately favoured by the officials - has happened for many years (call them 'ratings free kicks') but blatant bias does nothing for the game.

 

[ApplecrossWC]

Third week in a row Essendon have had been given an armchair ride