Umps V Adelaide

[richoatthedisco]

Our first two goals came from very soft free kicks.

 

[tugga]

Our first two goals came from very soft free kicks.

King one was there.
Tuck one was there too, but yeah a little soft.

 

[tiggywigs]

I feel that the AFL just hasn't got its "don't criticise our little sooks" policy quite right.

What seems to get overlooked is that umpiring (or refereeing or adjudicating or whatever you call it) is a vital life skill - as important as any of the combat skills exhibited by the players we all so idolise. Just try to imagine a society where all the 'umpires' (think judges as an obvious example) were hopeless (i.e. incompetent and corrupt) and what kind of life you would have.

I very sincerely doubt that bad umpiring is deliberately motivated. I would think that it's just the same as a good/bad or indifferent player having a good/bad/indifferent day. Making a rapid series of decisions in a blindingly quick, multi-directional game like AFL must be one of the hardest umpiring roles in the sporting world. You want tough, fair-minded individuals to fill that job.

The trouble is that, as is often remarked, a good umpiring display is often ignored because it doesn't interrupt the flow of the game. Perhaps we need a completely different approach from the AFL. Perhaps coaches should be encouraged to talk about the umpiring, provided they are prepared to praise as well as damn. Decision-makers in all other walks of life are expected to wear criticism, as well as get the benefit of good performance. Maybe there should be an umpires' Brownlow, voted on by the players (or at least the Captains)!

 

[T4P]

I've been saying this for a while now. The rules are getting way too numerous and technical. The biggest problem is a lack of consistency - I wouldn't mind shit calls as long as they go both ways.
Common sense is needed. Desperately.

 

[the ranger]

I reckon that's a good idea, tiggywigs. Maybe have the two captains and the two coaches give the umpires a rating after the game (1, 2 or 3 votes each). You could even bring fans or the media into it. Keep the umpires together in teams each week, so they're always umpiring with the same people. The best umpiring teams in the regular season get the finals. You could have an umpiring ladder as well!

 

[tiggywigs]

I reckon that's a good idea, tiggywigs. Maybe have the two captains and the two coaches give the umpires a rating after the game (1, 2 or 3 votes each). You could even bring fans or the media into it. Keep the umpires together in teams each week, so they're always umpiring with the same people. The best umpiring teams in the regular season get the finals. You could have an umpiring ladder as well!

They're going to have to come up with something ranger. The present campaign is well-intentioned, but it just isn't working. For a simple reason. It just doesn't make sense that you are not allowed to criticise an umpire/decision-maker. It feels un-Australian that you can't have a shot at the bloke in a position of authority. But if you balance criticism with praise (where due)....

And as for that ad with Nick Riewoldt looking down from high as if he were the Angel of Rectitude...

 

[Livonski]

The inconsistencies were unbelievable.
The non holding the ball decision in front of goal in the last quarter made my blood boil and then Lids gets his arm pinged with no prior opp on the boundary line a minute later and he gets called for holding the ball.
2nd quarter was a ****ing joke. ****ing maggots.

Yep, that prior opp was a corker. Serious error that, really, just shouldn't happen. "Did he have prior opp"? Should be mechanical, and it's about time with the pill, so not an interpretation thing. Lids was intantaneously grabbed...no need to interpret anything. Tippetts was soft but made up for Tucks IMO. And they need to get fair dinkum on blocking everywhere and early in the game. JR cops it every week now, all day. They've got to snuff it out early so the champs can at least run at the pill.