What is the worst umpiring decision you have ever seen?

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I remember back in the 70s when it was still illegal to tackle a player who was in the act of bouncing the ball. So if a player was tackled as he threw the ball out in front of him to bounce, it was a free kick for holding the man as the player bouncing was deemed not to be in possession of the ball at the time. Of course players exploited this mercilessly, waiting to get tackled, going for the 'bounce' and hey presto free kick. The rule makers woke up to this and changed the interpretation to the player bouncing the ball to be in possession, so the free was then paid to the tackler for holding the ball. Anyway, when this rule change was first introduced, maybe some umpires didn't quite get the interpretation or were just a bit overzealous in their application ... but I remember a game on the weekend the rule change was introduced, where a nippy rover was zooming along and dodged around this lumbering ruckman, had a bounce, and the umpire blew the whistle and pinged him for holding the ball. Even the ruckman was gobsmacked and laughed as he was given the ball. On the local Football Show the next day the commentators thought it was a huge joke. Don't know that it was the worst umpiring decision, but it sure was funny.
 

jacko57

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I remember back in the 70s when it was still illegal to tackle a player who was in the act of bouncing the ball. So if a player was tackled as he threw the ball out in front of him to bounce, it was a free kick for holding the man as the player bouncing was deemed not to be in possession of the ball at the time. Of course players exploited this mercilessly, waiting to get tackled, going for the 'bounce' and hey presto free kick. The rule makers woke up to this and changed the interpretation to the player bouncing the ball to be in possession, so the free was then paid to the tackler for holding the ball. Anyway, when this rule change was first introduced, maybe some umpires didn't quite get the interpretation or were just a bit overzealous in their application ... but I remember a game on the weekend the rule change was introduced, where a nippy rover was zooming along and dodged around this lumbering ruckman, had a bounce, and the umpire blew the whistle and pinged him for holding the ball. Even the ruckman was gobsmacked and laughed as he was given the ball. On the local Football Show the next day the commentators thought it was a huge joke. Don't know that it was the worst umpiring decision, but it sure was funny.
That would be the 'Kevin Bartlett' rule change.
 
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Didn't exactly see it but heard it was a HOWLER :thumbsdown::thumbsdown:
The Phil Gallagher decision - yes AN ABSOLUTE STUFF-UP !!!!!!!. Foster admitted years later, when reminded about it, that he might have been incorrect in paying the free. Still think that he wanted to even the score after what Sturt did to his beloved Port 2 years earlier in the GF.
 

Aristotel

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Read what I wrote, Bozo ! (Or get an adult to read it for you !) I said you can't be penalised for dropping the ball, UNLESS you do it when you've been tackled. I was replying to a poster who said that some Geelong player should have been freed for 'dropping the ball' even though he hadn't been tackled. :rolleyes:
Milburn was about 0.1sec from being tackled. Even the original poster stated this when he was whinging about the Geelong player being penalised...He dropped the ball....Free kick.
 
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Milburn was about 0.1sec from being tackled. Even the original poster stated this when he was whinging about the Geelong player being penalised...He dropped the ball....Free kick.
He was never tackled. the ball bounced off the turf and he collected it again. Where's the free? there's no rule that says you have to bounce the ball while moving forward...
 

Aristotel

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He was never tackled. the ball bounced off the turf and he collected it again. Where's the free? there's no rule that says you have to bounce the ball while moving forward...

mmmm, I admit, I would have to see it again. Either way it was unconventional and he was probably pinged for 'incorrect disposal'.
 
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Yeah, it probly just looked to weird for the umpire to leave it. Wouldnt mind so much, except the Tigers kicked a goal from the free on the boundary, which put them in front, and they went on to beat us
 

don4eva

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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
Raise you two Jeff Farmer free kicks.
 

Chewy

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A few years ago, a player fell on top of his own teammate and tackled him (he was trying to lock the ball in for a ball-up) and the umpire awarded him a free kick for holding the ball. That was pretty funny.
 

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Hawkamania!

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Anytime Darren Goldspink :mad::thumbsdown: is on the ground. Not fond of McLaren either.

Why dosen't the AFL promote umps form regional leagues and reward the ones doing a good job. Really, we the fans, are the ones paying the money and we deserve people who can do a good job.

Anyone have the phone number for Goldspink's newsagency?:p PM me so it's not listed in the forums.
 

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Leigh Colberts mark not paid against Adelaide in that final. That decision single handedly gave Adelaide their flag.
Wasnt that mark just before 3 quarter time ???

Thats a rediculous statement to make. The only decision that one can sit there and say that won them the game would be a decision in the dying moments of a game. A decision or non decision earlier in the game would change the whole context of the game and nothing can be determined from that. It wasnt even that Colbert was right in front of goals or anything, so everything is all speculation as to whether he would have kicked it or not.

Adelaide won by 8 points in the end and come back and went over the cats in the last term. Again it is all what if blah blah blah.

That is as stupid as someone saying that the only reason Port won the flag was because all the St Kilda supporters ran onto the field for Fraser after he kicked his hundred and it broke their momentum.

In the end it is just your way to try and justify to yourself because you hate the fact that Adelaide won the premiership, "b b but teh Colbert mark 11!!!!111"
 

NikkiNoo

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relapse - what also needs to be taken into account for that game was that Geelong were credited with a goal in the second quarter but it actually came off of Bickley quite clearly but this is never mentioned.
 

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relapse - what also needs to be taken into account for that game was that Geelong were credited with a goal in the second quarter but it actually came off of Bickley quite clearly but this is never mentioned.
Port supporters have selective memories and selective hearing skills which would prevent them from remembering this.
 

Redlegs14

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That is as stupid as someone saying that the only reason Port won the flag was because all the St Kilda supporters ran onto the field for Fraser after he kicked his hundred and it broke their momentum.
That's not stupid relapse, that's the truth.

Anyone who says differently obviously wasn't watching that game.
 

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1. Shaun Rehn pinged for holding the ball in 1998 vs Kangaroos. 30 seconds left, Crows up by 5 points. Resulted in a goal to the Roos and they won. I have never been so livid with an umpiring decision in my life.

2. Johnson from the Bombers had a 50m penalty paid against him for calling his opponent a 'weak dog'. I laughed oh so hard.
 
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darren goldspink, although not one decision can be narrowed down, the tossbag falling over in the dying minutes of last years grand final while running backwards. he tripped over another players feet and went down like a bag of s***. then he puts his hands behind his stupid head and grimaces in pain. all just because he wasn't getting any attention. i hate this w.anker and this episode proves that he thinks he is bigger than the game. if the million dollar man (dimmo) had any kahonas he'd tell him to pull his head in and stop carrying on like a punce.
goldspink = d.i.ckhead
 
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