Analysis Yes, we get a lot of frees, but ...

[The Passenger]

When you actually go through it the difference in free kicks is pretty negligible. The difference between the biggest positive (Richmond +76) and negative (St Kilda -67) differentials is 143, which equates to exactly 6.5 free kick differential per game.

Now people who don't look at things rationally, or have poor maths skills would think that's the equivalent of being behind 21.5 to 15 on the free kick count, but it's not. That's a differential of 13 free kicks per game.

A 6.5 free kick differential is equivalent of 20 to 16.75 free kicks in a game. Hardly earth shattering stuff. If supporters genuinely believe this is the reason their team is languishing down the ladder then I hope their coaching staff don't view it the same way otherwise they are in for some pain by blaming others for their own shortcomings.

In any case, when teams or teams coached by someone are consistently on the right or wrong side of the free kick ledger then it is usually something right or wrong with the coaching techniques being used.

 

[ZergMinion]

But surely this would be Umpiring 101- They would be aware of this and consciously try to avoid it.

The Umpiring Department would be well aware of these trends given the publicity it has received. I'm certain they would have reviewed our games and analysed all the decisions. If they were consistently making incorrect calls or being effected by the crowd, they would put plans in place to correct this.

If something was wrong then they would already have done something about it, I refuse to believe a department dedicated to umpiring wouldn't have analysed this within an inch of its life.

Being aware of something and being able to avoid it in the moment are two quite different things. It's easy to see examples this year where they've relaxed one week and overcompensated the week after. Fans expect way more from umpires than they're capable of delivering. Unless you replace them with robots you'll never get calls without bias or overcompensation the other way.

 

[Eagle got a win]

To be honest I could take complaining from most teams about the free kick count at home but the one team that I won't is the Hawks.

They get handed a free ride everywhere. Last time we played them there were dodgy decisions all over. I take it as a sign of fear that they are complaining which they have no right.

I'm sure Friday they will again they will be given a free ride by the umps with a lot of controversy decisions being made so get ready guys, going to be frustrating.

 

[daniel23]

the best bit out of all this is you know you get a lot of free kicks but going to a couple eagles games this year it is like you think you get the rough end of the deal . Have never heard a group of supporters whinge for the whole entirety of the game so much

 

[Eagle got a win]

the best bit out of all this is you know you get a lot of free kicks but going to a couple eagles games this year it is like you think you get the rough end of the deal . Have never heard a group of supporters whinge for the whole entirety of the game so much

Get used to it because Friday night it's going to hit you head on and send you out crying like a little bitch.

 

[FLX121]

I have a theory of why we got so many free kicks and it involves Allan Bonds cell mate. I won't disclose it over this unsecured IP but trust me ... it goes deep.



Very deep.

 

[nameless]

#digdeep

 

[2006_Eagles]

This guy also gets a lot of frees

 

[Maxxyb]

I miss the X-files.

Ducking, chucking, sucking. So many sins, so many disaffected opposition supporters.

No chance the umps just call them as they see them?

Over eleventy seven games officiated by twixty seven individuals, where no meaningful analysis of each decision has been made, I will concede that the free's we have got got suggest a positive statistical bias.

Applying the same criteria, the ones against against us demonstrate a clear negative bias.

They are out there. Keep watching the skis.

 

[hudson2006]

I have a theory of why we got so many free kicks and it involves Allan Bonds cell mate. I won't disclose it over this unsecured IP but trust me ... it goes deep.



Very deep.

All of the top AFL officials are secretly clones of the Australia II engineers in order to give West Coast Eagles a "winged keel", as it were.

This story probably ends with Luke Shuey being something.

 

[2006_Eagles]

All of the top AFL officials are secretly clones of the Australia II engineers in order to give West Coast Eagles a "winged keel", as it were.

This story probably ends with Luke Shuey being something.

 

[HoneyBadger35]

the best bit out of all this is you know you get a lot of free kicks but going to a couple eagles games this year it is like you think you get the rough end of the deal . Have never heard a group of supporters whinge for the whole entirety of the game so much

Yes you have, and if you haven't you've only ever been to Eagles games. Media beat up of the century that.

 

[FatPizza]

the best bit out of all this is you know you get a lot of free kicks but going to a couple eagles games this year it is like you think you get the rough end of the deal . Have never heard a group of supporters whinge for the whole entirety of the game so much

 

[ioppolo]

We could've been pinged for holding the ball 6 times, St Kilda could've kicked it out on the full 23 times and there'd still be an uproar.