Worst umpiring this year?

[thegoldenbear]

What is wrong with these umpires. To be fair, only 2 were inexplicably hopeless with the worst on ground going to umpire number 31. Someone check his bank balance, 'cos he either had something on Port or he got the old brown paper bag in the rooms before the game. I couldn't believe my eyes when the scoreboard was saying at one stage we only had 3 less free kicks. This guy was whistle mad when Port had the ball and must have had his eyes shut when St Kilda went near it. Explain why you need to give a 50m penalty against a trainer when the bloke waiting to take his kick hasn't even got the ball. You could see it happening a mile away - the Port guys knew they had the rub of the green and to their credit they fell, dived and staged at every opportunity for great success. Still, makes it very hard for opposition teams to create a strong contest.

 

[Squizz]

The only thing that really annoyed me is when they were singing coming off the ground "We've got the Power to win, the Power to cheat. C'mon!!! The Sainters need a beatin' ...."

Nice pic in the Herald Sun today of Daniel Motlop with a handful of Jason Blake jumper in the middle of his back. Any chance of keeping the rule similarish for the whole season?

 

[Half Back Pocket]

Michael Vozzo (number 2) hates St. Kilda with a passion....and we always seem to get him!

 

[The Punter]

You are all forgetting Matthew "Whispers in the Sky" Head, who, by my reckoning, paid a Grand Total of 1 free kick to St Kilda yesterday. Vozzo was also terrible, the other bloke I thought was the "least worst" of them.

I get a sneaking suspicion we are going to get Ray Chamberlain next week. Also haven't had Justin Schmitt in a while.

I think we have had Matthew James only once this season. Chamberlain, Schmitt, McBurney, McLaren and McInerny the worst. And yes, I miss Goldspink.

 

[Persevering Saint]

Absolutely disgusted with the umpiring yesterday. I am extremely hesitant to discuss umpiring at any stage, but sometimes, I mean, sheesh.

I remember hearing a junior grade ump calling into the the radio. He was remarking that he's starting to see the effects of the poor umpiring in his grade. Kids are actually scared to pick up the ball, because they see every week on TV their heroes getting penalised if they go near it. They're scared to get into a marking contest, for the same reason.

The umpires - and the AFL boards that dictate to them - have to realise they actually hold the very fabric of our game in their hands. They keep tampering with it with their inconsistent "re-interpretations", and the game could be stuffed.

 

[The Punter]

Interpretation wise the only problem I had yesterday was very few holding the ball decisions, when Port Adelaide clearly had a strategy of winning the ball in close in stoppages or locking it in.

My problem yesterday was the incredible consistency with which we didn't get 50/50 decisions, but Port Adelaide did.

The 50m penalty on Schneider could be paid against 25 blokes each week following their opponent around players kicking over the man on the mark.

Speaking of Schneider, did anyone see the shephard on him in the third quarter deep in attack? More like a bear hug actually, with Matthew Head looking straight at the incident. Also McQualter getting his head removed after we had received a free kick. This happened right at the umpire's feet, yet he did nothing.

Seriously, they umpired yesterday like they were on the $5.50.

 

[TassieSaint]

^^^ In addition to the above there would have to have been 5 or so deliberate out of bounds unpaid, as well as many that could have been paid for in the back, chopping the arms, holding etc. etc.

But then again, this is the second week in a row we have had the umpiring go against us, from this can we conclude either:
a) Two weeks in a row we have got terrible umpires who have done all they could to rob us of the win
b) Our players are undisciplined and clumsy and give away too many frees
c) Poor umpiring is accentuating our lack of discipline

I'll go with c). Along with delivery into forward 50 (which Harvey should lead), they need to do a lot of work on not giving away free kicks at training. Also move Goddard to the Wing/HFF

 

[Half Back Pocket]

^^^ In addition to the above there would have to have been 5 or so deliberate out of bounds unpaid, as well as many that could have been paid for in the back, chopping the arms, holding etc. etc.

But then again, this is the second week in a row we have had the umpiring go against us, from this can we conclude either:
a) Two weeks in a row we have got terrible umpires who have done all they could to rob us of the win
b) Our players are undisciplined and clumsy and give away too many frees
c) Poor umpiring is accentuating our lack of discipline

I'll go with c). Along with delivery into forward 50 (which Harvey should lead), they need to do a lot of work on not giving away free kicks at training. Also move Goddard to the Wing/HFF

Has anyone heard if Lenny will be sited for his hip n shoulder in the last qtr?
He will probably be crucified, like Kosi, bakes, etc etc

 

[Half Back Pocket]

^^^ In addition to the above there would have to have been 5 or so deliberate out of bounds unpaid, as well as many that could have been paid for in the back, chopping the arms, holding etc. etc.

But then again, this is the second week in a row we have had the umpiring go against us, from this can we conclude either:
a) Two weeks in a row we have got terrible umpires who have done all they could to rob us of the win
b) Our players are undisciplined and clumsy and give away too many frees
c) Poor umpiring is accentuating our lack of discipline

I'll go with c). Along with delivery into forward 50 (which Harvey should lead), they need to do a lot of work on not giving away free kicks at training. Also move Goddard to the Wing/HFF

How were some of the free kicks paid to Brogan in ruck contests???
Even the commentators were flabbergasted at times!

 

[TassieSaint]

Has anyone heard if Lenny will be sited for his hip n shoulder in the last qtr?
He will probably be crucified, like Kosi, bakes, etc etc

If he does it'll be an absolute joke. He was going in hard for the ball but a split second before he got there the Port bloke got knocked the ball away and Lenny couldn't avoid collision. Same with the Goddard incident, he was going up for the spoil but then after he'd already jumped realised Fisher would take the mark and he didn't need to spoil, so he tried to avoid contact.

How were some of the free kicks paid to Brogan in ruck contests???
Even the commentators were flabbergasted at times!

Yeah the bloke got 6 bloody free kicks! Dunno what they were for either

 

[Signd Sealed Saint]

I started a "Vozzo's going home in the back of a divy van" chant. Hehehehehe. There was a huge boo when they came off the ground. Biggest i've ever heard. Vozzo and Head probably got some from Choco before the game. The bloody ******s. So many frees weren't paid to us, and they magically plucked about 50 from us. Geez.

 

[_Interpol_]

Biggest ones:

S Burgoyne's CLEARLY deliberate OOB, my word what a joke

Mini getting done for 50 for shoving that bloke, then in the 4th BJ take s agrab, gets held, and held again and no 50.. kicks it and is slammed into the turf, no downfield

BJ got slammed again lata on, with no downfield

best part?

WE WON!

So F em

 

[clobba]

I left at 1/2 time before I hit someone is how disgusted I was with the umpiring , got home turned the TV on and had the little glass screen to put a little distance and perspective into it...and then caught all the 3rd and 4th quarters.

 

[Half Back Pocket]

I started a "Vozzo's going home in the back of a divy van" chant. Hehehehehe. There was a huge boo when they came off the ground. Biggest i've ever heard. Vozzo and Head probably got some Choco before the game. The bloody ******s. So many frees weren't paid to us, and they magically plucked about 50 from us. Geez.

Them: 26
Us: 18

Them: 3 Goals from Free Kick and/or
3 Goals from 50 merter penalties
Us: none

 

[bubblegoose]

It's the absolute seemingly blatant inconsistency that frustrates the life out of me. The way that some rules apply to one side & not the other or even from changing the focus from week to week is just bewildering. If an interpretation was consistent for both sides then you wouldn't have a situation where the winning theme song isn't interupted by boos for the umpires. That has to be a fair indication that something isn't right.

 

[ChrisL#12]

You are all forgetting Matthew "Whispers in the Sky" Head, who, by my reckoning, paid a Grand Total of 1 free kick to St Kilda yesterday. Vozzo was also terrible, the other bloke I thought was the "least worst" of them.

I get a sneaking suspicion we are going to get Ray Chamberlain next week. Also haven't had Justin Schmitt in a while.

I think we have had Matthew James only once this season. Chamberlain, Schmitt, McBurney, McLaren and McInerny the worst. And yes, I miss Goldspink.

Good. Razor's been OK with us for most this year. And at least he tries to even them up, unlike those absolute tools on the weekend who paid them Pot Adelaide's way all game.

 

[Armitage2Riewoldt]

I remember Eddy was decked by a Port player when we had a free kick, and the Port player wouldn't get off him, the umps right there and did nothing.

Worse than last week by a mile.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,24057943-23211,00.html

We should have started a "cheat cheat cheat" chant.
Seriously I get sick of reading how they don't get enough respect, shouldn't be called names, trying hard to do a job that no-one else wants and so on.

You cannot order people to respect you. You cannot ask for respect.
The only way to get respect is to earn it. Public abuse should not be needed, but in some cases it is deserved because they, as an orgainisation need to look after their own dirty laundry but they don't.
If a few upires were sacked for unprofessional conduct, non-impartiality , poor performance etc, that would actually improve their credibility as a group.

 

[Ice-Wolf]

You are all forgetting Matthew "Whispers in the Sky" Head, who, by my reckoning, paid a Grand Total of 1 free kick to St Kilda yesterday. Vozzo was also terrible, the other bloke I thought was the "least worst" of them.

I get a sneaking suspicion we are going to get Ray Chamberlain next week. Also haven't had Justin Schmitt in a while.

I think we have had Matthew James only once this season. Chamberlain, Schmitt, McBurney, McLaren and McInerny the worst. And yes, I miss Goldspink.

At least McLaren is only incompetent, if i had to choose between McLaren and Matthew "Dick" Head, I'd want McLaren to umpire.

McLaren would actually be a good umpire if he would just restrict his calls to incidents that he was physically able to see and left his umpire sixth sense out of it.

Head should never umpire a St Kilda game again. After the Freo game he should never have umpired us again.

I honestly cant fathom what we have done recently for the umpires to hate our guts, my Collingwood supporting brother couldn't believe the one-sideness of the umpiring.

This week is going to be interesting.

 

[ChrisFooty]

The holding the ball rule dissapeared yesterday

 

[The Punter]

Head should have never umpired any game ever again after the Freo game in 2005.

 

[batfink]

I dont like to comment on umpires normally. Even against West Coast, when it was 29 frees to 10 I didn't think they were that bad, as you expect to lose those 50/50 decisions interstate. However, against Port on Sunday, it was as if they were trying to keep Port in the game they were that putrid.

 

[Squizz]

I thought we generally copped last week's 10-29 count well - amazingly as I can think of half a dozen obvious ones (including Rob Eddy who is getting no protection at all from the umpires who must think they can get away with it because he's not Chris Judd).

SS - if you had of started the chant, I would have gladly joined in. I was struggling to hold it all in, and had to console myself with a few boos at the end whilst our friends from Victoria Police watched on.

If these fools can't put their heads together before a game and umpire consistently between each other, then find another combination. As stated somewhere yesterday, for them to try and state to the public that they are always fair and unbiased just smells. Anyone remember James Hird winning the game off his own boot and not being able to get a vote (after some comments re: Scott McLaren the week before?).

They all have their favourite teams and players (like all of us). On the other hand Milne, Gehrig, Kosi, Goddard and Blake all get poorly treated - and now poor "old" Rob Eddy is quickly being added to the "disaffected" list.

 

[PowerForGood]

Good win Saints - overall well deserved.

I watched the game again last night, and whilst I agree that if you watch the game live the Saints got the rough end of the stick, watching the game again purely from a "by the letter of the law" basis the umpires umpired ok (maybe 2 or 3 - Brogan in the back during a ruck contest was an obvious one).

We watch the game from an "interpretation" viewpoint, whereas the umpires are instructed to umpire without interpretation, because their interpretations will be different between each other.

I am getting less irate with the umpires, and more upset with the rule makers.

 

[Armitage2Riewoldt]

Good win Saints - overall well deserved.

I watched the game again last night, and whilst I agree that if you watch the game live the Saints got the rough end of the stick, watching the game again purely from a "by the letter of the law" basis the umpires umpired ok (maybe 2 or 3 - Brogan in the back during a ruck contest was an obvious one).

We watch the game from an "interpretation" viewpoint, whereas the umpires are instructed to umpire without interpretation, because their interpretations will be different between each other.

I am getting less irate with the umpires, and more upset with the rule makers.

Good point.

We need someone to vent at though, and we cant exactly scream at the rules committee.