What is the worst umpiring decision you have ever seen?

winty

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I'd like to get your opinion on the worst umpiring decision you have ever seen. It could be in any grade, or league, but I'm sure there have been some absolutely abysmal decisions paid by those twerps in white, orange, yellow, red, etc.

To get the ball rolling, I'll list a couple of absolute howlers I've seen.

1. Darren Milburn vs Richmond: Milburn is pinned up against the boundary line by his opponent, bounces the ball with one hand, runs around his opponent, picks up the ball and goes to run off. Umpire runs in and pings Milburn for dropping the ball, when at no time did his opponent tackle him.

2. Corey Enright vs Western Bulldogs: Enright is on the wing, running to the ball with an opponent. Taps the ball with both hands into the ground so it bounces in the direction of Darren Milburn running past. Umpire runs in and pings Enright for throwing the ball.

3. Gary Ablett Snr vs Richmond: Ablett is playing at full forward. Leads out from the goal square, with his opponent running behind him. Opponent slips over and is out of the contest. Umpire runs in and pings Ablett for pushing him in the back.

There's probably heaps more, but they're the ones that come readily to mind.
 

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the_big_sav

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#2
a couple of years ago at the dome, stevo was running with his back to the ball while the opponent stood waiting for the ball to come to him. as stevo gets close to him, he spins in the air to then face the ball and marks the ball but the umpire must have thought he made contact as he was spinning and pays a push but he was not even close to touching him (i think that rule had just come in when you couldnt touch the opponent front on in a marking contest). absolute joke!

and of course in carey's last official game for us in 2001 richo gave us a bath 17 marks or something but he kicked 2.6 and his last one his went to fend off teague and had a clenched first and hit teague straight it the face (it might not have been clenched but it was a full hand to the face) and the umpire paid a mark to richo and he actually kicked a goal and richmond won by a point (broderick also toook a dive before the first bounce and richmond were 6-0 after 0 seconds of play)

and there was creswells dive to get the goal after the siren a few years ago.

not that i remember or hold a grudge :D
 

Smyth94

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#3
The 2000 GF had a few howlers
1st Qtr - Mercuri got tackled, threw the ball to Lloyd who kicked the resulting goal
1st Qtr - Hardwick tackled Woey from behind, brought him down fairly, and was judged a push in the back
2nd Qtr - Mercuri threw the ball to Caracella after being tackled, another goal scored
 

Smyth94

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#4
Oh and the 2001 Prelim final against the Hawks... I've never seen such horrible umpiring in the first quarter, they gave us 2 goals at least
 

Mitchell Madness

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#7
for me, it would be Hawks vs Swans in i think it was 2004 at the SCG. hawks down by a point, changa gains the ball from the ruck, and is instantly tackled, with no chance to get rid of the ball in the space of a second. and as the tackle is performed, the ball slips, and he is done for holding it. whether or not its legit, players can take four or five steps, and continue to hold onto the ball without having that payed
 

H2F

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After the 2001 Preliminary final, the fact that Darren Goldspink still has a job is a disgrace and an indictment of where our game is at.

He cost Hawthorn a GF appearance and possibly a premiership, and what does he get for it. Suspended for one game.

What a disgrace, he is the worst umpire in my lifetime and whether that effected my team or any team does not change my standing on him.

The AFL are too scared to do anything about this because of the lack of umpires they already have, but it is not the point. They should sack him immediately and spend the required $$$ to invest in young umpires and the recuitment and training of new ones.

One of the current failures of the Demetriou lead management team is dealing with Darren Goldspink.

For all you who are going to reply that he is good for the game, I can only hope you cop him in a final.

I am sure Sydney supporters feel similar to me they have seen his efforts first hand also.
 

winty

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How is this thread or my previous post a Geelong whinge? I just quoted examples from Geelong games as I see more of their games than anyone else. But if you want other examples, how about this one?

Richmond vs Brisbane: Alastair Lynch was playing full back. Got the ball near the goalpost so that he was standing behind the post holding the ball in the field of play. Held the ball in one arm, put his other hand out, threw the ball from one hand to the other and ran off. Umpire called play on.

Then there was the Harlem Globetrotters like pass from one Richmond player to another against Fremantle a few years back at Subiaco that was deemed acceptable. Not to mention Ronnie Burns' flick pass against St.Kilda at Skilled Stadium in 2000.
 

Roddy

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#10
After the 2001 Preliminary final, the fact that Darren Goldspink still has a job is a disgrace and an indictment of where our game is at.

He cost Hawthorn a GF appearance and possibly a premiership, and what does he get for it. Suspended for one game.

What a disgrace, he is the worst umpire in my lifetime and whether that effected my team or any team does not change my standing on him.

The AFL are too scared to do anything about this because of the lack of umpires they already have, but it is not the point. They should sack him immediately and spend the required $$$ to invest in young umpires and the recuitment and training of new ones.

One of the current failures of the Demetriou lead management team is dealing with Darren Goldspink.

For all you who are going to reply that he is good for the game, I can only hope you cop him in a final.

I am sure Sydney supporters feel similar to me they have seen his efforts first hand also.
Was at that game. He had me absolutely screaming and tearing my hair out at his incompetence and what looked dangerously like favourtism. Even Dons supporters were saying the same thing. Undoubtedly cost us a spot in the Grannie. Realistically, Brissie woulda done us over in the GF, but you never know. DG is an absolute disgrace to his profession....
 

Hap Hapablap

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#11
After the 2001 Preliminary final, the fact that Darren Goldspink still has a job is a disgrace and an indictment of where our game is at.

He cost Hawthorn a GF appearance and possibly a premiership, and what does he get for it. Suspended for one game.

What a disgrace, he is the worst umpire in my lifetime and whether that effected my team or any team does not change my standing on him.

The AFL are too scared to do anything about this because of the lack of umpires they already have, but it is not the point. They should sack him immediately and spend the required $$$ to invest in young umpires and the recuitment and training of new ones.

One of the current failures of the Demetriou lead management team is dealing with Darren Goldspink.

For all you who are going to reply that he is good for the game, I can only hope you cop him in a final.

I am sure Sydney supporters feel similar to me they have seen his efforts first hand also.
if you dont mind me askin Hodge2Franklin could you refresh my memory to what exactly goldspink did back then that shouldve given him the sack and get him off the field especially some of the decisions hes made today.
 

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Mutant

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#12
THE WORST EVER:

In a Dockers game the ump jumped a couple of centimetres off the ground and took a mark, talk about wanting to get involved.

Then the ******** could have awarded himself the mark gone back quickly and bombed it in to the forwards (he would have been a legend).

Instead he decides to bounce the bloody ball, stupid decision.
 

H2F

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Was at that game. He had me absolutely screaming and tearing my hair out at his incompetence and what looked dangerously like favourtism. Even Dons supporters were saying the same thing. Undoubtedly cost us a spot in the Grannie. Realistically, Brissie woulda done us over in the GF, but you never know. DG is an absolute disgrace to his profession....
I still can't believe it happened. I am actually over the fact that we didn't get through you can heal those wounds.

What I can't get over is that he got away with it, and he did. Actually dramatically influenced the outcome of an AFL final and got to keep his job.

For the losers denying knowledge of this game, he gave Essendon 5 goals from set shots between the start of the game and early in the second term.

5

They were not gray or 50 / 50 they were blatent acts of incompetence or cheating choose your own words.
 

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#14
I watched the Freo vs Sydney PF on the WE and the funniest thing I saw was three Sydney players dive on the ball and lock it in securely in the Freo forward line without a Freo player in sight.

The umpire comes along and calls a bounce.

Game was all over by then though.
 

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#15
Fitzroy copped some very dubious decisions in their dying days, there was a shocker over in Adelaide when they were plainly robbed of a victory, the actual circumstances escape me , but I`m sure there is a roy boy out there who could remind us.
The Leigh Colbert non mark also over in Adelaide and this time a final was also one that sticks out like a sore thumb.
 

H2F

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Fitzroy copped some very dubious decisions in their dying days, there was a shocker over in Adelaide when they were plainly robbed of a victory, the actual circumstances escape me , but I`m sure there is a roy boy out there who could remind us.
The Leigh Colbert non mark also over in Adelaide and this time a final was also one that sticks out like a sore thumb.
Your my new mate Windy Hill. I was thinking about the Colbert one myself but couldn't remember the exact game!
 

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#17
H2F i was at the 2001 Prelim myself and I can tell you that I was almost embarassed to be an Essendon supporter at 1/4 time, it was a terrible sight to see. However, the umpiring on that day was woeful for the whole game, there were a few square up decisions as well mind you.
 

BK Eaglesfan

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#18
Fitzroy copped some very dubious decisions in their dying days, there was a shocker over in Adelaide when they were plainly robbed of a victory, the actual circumstances escape me , but I`m sure there is a roy boy out there who could remind us.
The Leigh Colbert non mark also over in Adelaide and this time a final was also one that sticks out like a sore thumb.
Got a feeling you're talking about the Adelaide v Fitzroy H & A game in 1991 at AAMI. IIRC Fitzroy lead all game in a real low scroing game, and Adealdie kicked about 4 goals in the last 10 minutes or something. Memory not good enough to remember how the umpires had a part in that though vaguely seem to remember some controversy with a couple of debateable frees at the death.
 

Chewy

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#19
Fitzroy copped some very dubious decisions in their dying days, there was a shocker over in Adelaide when they were plainly robbed of a victory, the actual circumstances escape me , but I`m sure there is a roy boy out there who could remind us.
Fitzroy led by couple of goals in a low-scoring, rain-sodden night game in Adelaide with a minute to go. The umpires then paid a string of shocking free kicks to Adelaide. At EVERY contest, they plucked out a mystery free to the Crows. In the last minute of the game, they got 4 or 5 in a row, then scored a goal. The Crows trailed by less than a kick. Centre bounce. Free kick to Adelaide. Kick to CHF. Free kick to Adelaide. All the frees were utter garbage, mind you. I think the last one was when some Crows hack fell over and the ump paid in the back. Siren goes! While the Roys were giving the umpire a spray, Rod Jameson, who was 20m from the play, lurked over and "took" the free kick from his useless teammate (Eddie Hocking?). Jameson was a pretty good kick and he banged it through from 40m.

The commentators were going off their heads. Peter McKenna said, "Fitzroy have been dead-set robbed tonight!" I remember watching the game and being bored, then my jaw dropping in amazement at the events of the final 2 minutes. The game was rigged. It was the only possible explanation. It was so appalling, it was funny...

The Leigh Colbert non mark also over in Adelaide and this time a final was also one that sticks out like a sore thumb.
Probably the most memorable and shocking non-payment of a legit mark, I've ever seen.
 

utility

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#21
Fitzroy copped some very dubious decisions in their dying days, there was a shocker over in Adelaide when they were plainly robbed of a victory, the actual circumstances escape me , but I`m sure there is a roy boy out there who could remind us.
The Leigh Colbert non mark also over in Adelaide and this time a final was also one that sticks out like a sore thumb.
The worst was definitely the Fitzroy one against the Crows. Adelaide received three very dubious decisions in their favour in the last two minutes of the game, kicked two goals, and one by a point (from memory).

I'm a North supporter but I remember I and the rest of my family were utterly disgusted with the umpires... utterly disgusted. That Leigh Colbert one was one that sprung to mind.

Then there's the '94 Prelim Final... :mad: :(
 

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#22
Fitzroy copped some very dubious decisions in their dying days, there was a shocker over in Adelaide when they were plainly robbed of a victory, the actual circumstances escape me , but I`m sure there is a roy boy out there who could remind us.
The Leigh Colbert non mark also over in Adelaide and this time a final was also one that sticks out like a sore thumb.
There was also one at the MCG where a Fitzroy player gathered the ball about a foot inside the boundary and took the ball over the line. He was pinged for deliberate and then when he threw the ball back to the Richmond player, it fell about half a foot wide of him and the ump payed a 50 metre penalty against him. Two of the worst decisions I have ever seen.

Their game in Adelaide was a shocka as well, but I can't remember the exact circumstances either.
 

H2F

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#24
H2F i was at the 2001 Prelim myself and I can tell you that I was almost embarassed to be an Essendon supporter at 1/4 time, it was a terrible sight to see. However, the umpiring on that day was woeful for the whole game, there were a few square up decisions as well mind you.
Thanks Smythy... honestly dude it's not the outcome of the game that has left a scar with me it's the fact that Goldspink got away with it. I mean there are errors, bad days and the BLATENT CHEATING.

Good on ya for stepping up and writing a post. I do appreciate Essendon fans who can come out and let everyone know how bad it was for the Hawks!

Cheers
 

Chewy

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#25
1996 Qualifying Final at the SCG. Sydney (finished 1st) vs Hawthorn (finished 8th)
Against the odds, Hawthorn led for most of the night. Dunstall did his knee, but the Hawks hung tough. Things weren't following the script for the AFL darlings. Final seconds of the game, scores are level. Hawthorn win the ball in the centre and kick the ball to an unattended, 206cm Paul Salmon at CHF, 30 metres from goal. An outpositioned and desperate Swan defender MUGGED the big fish as the ball arrived. Salmon took one bite, then was tackled to the ground. Incredibly, the umpire waved play on. The Swans whisked the ball away from danger, straight down to other end where Cresswell took a big hanger in the goal square and kicked the winning goal with seconds to go. Not saying the game was rigged, or nuthin', but AFL boss, Wayne Jackson looked well-pleased. :rolleyes:
Plugger kicked his famous point, 2 weeks later and put the Swannies into the Granny.


In 1997, Hawthorn v Essendon, under the lights at Waverley, early season H&A game. A Hawthorn player had a shot at goal. The ball cleared the pack and was clearly bouncing through for a goal. The goal umpire stood side-on, straddling the goal line, hunched over, arms out wide, with a massive erection, as Sam Newman liked to say. He was so busy concentrating on seeing whether anyone touched the ball on the goal line (no one was within cooee) he didn't notice that the ball veered slightly towards him. The ball hit him on the knee, 2 feet inside the line, 3 feet inside the goal post, then rebounded off his knee and back into the field of play. As players ran in from 15m away, the goal umpire stood up straight and made a confused signal to the field ump. The whistle blew. the umpires conferred for 30 seconds. Then the goal umpire signalled touched, one point...
HE WAS THE ONE WHO TOUCHED THE BALL!!
Possibly the only time an umpire has scored in an AFL game. We were robbed of a certain goal by an umpire who couldn't keep his eye on the ball and got in the way. We were even denied a chance to score off the rebound.
 
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