umpiring

[terry smith rules]

This is not to make an excuse but......

we got no favours from the no free kick to Milne in the first minute to the ridiculous free against Milne.

Thene thing though that consistently Geelong got away with was "holding the ball".

granted Geelong back themselves at every contest and hats off to them for playing that way.

but if you back your self a to beat a man and get caught then it is holding the ball and should be every time.

Especially in their back line, they were getting caught and we could not buy a free kick. As their players were allowed to try and beat one or two get caught, ball spills free .. no kick to us.

It was not the differnece, but early in the game when we looking for an edge, these things might have counted for something.

fqf

[Superboot]

To beat Geelong you need everything going for you and it has to be said that very little coming from the umpires went our way, especially in the first half.

We might otherwise have been four goals closer, but that still adds up to a bad loss.

[Quixote]

Was very bad most of the day, but ATROCIOUS when it mattered.

[suss]

It started in the first qtr and was relentless all day...

They cost us a goal in the first qtr when a Geelong player had a snooze on the ball at the top of the square...

Geelong players at both ends of the oval constantly took on their men, got caught, did a 360, went to their knees and then gave off a handball...any decision?? Na, play on....

Bartel in particular was caught with the pill on numerous occasions clearly dropping it again and again and those spineless little germs in yellow let him get away with it whilst pinging our players for exactly the same thing...

And then there was the Milne/Johnston debarcle...

We were bad, but the umpires were f____g hopeless...

[Sainter_Dad]

Expect more this week - A Collingwood/Geelong Grand Final would be the AFL's wet dream!!!! (/Conspirancy Theory Rant over)

[Grimfang]

Who's the acting coach for Geelong.

Their diving and stooging ability is second to none.

[saintsRrising]

I think the umps were awe struck of the the Cats...as were the Saint's players...and most at the G watching.

[timtam]

Another game where we still seem to be paying a penalty when it comes to umpiring thanks to Grant Thomas. I thought with a new coach and board the slate would be clean. As the year has played out, obviously this is not the case. Luckily I have reserved seats on the 2nd level at the Dome otherwise I would be forking out $6000 every week for running out on the ground!!!!

[timtam]

I think the umps were awe struck of the the Cats...as were the Saint's players...and most at the G watching.

It wasn't the fact that they played brilliantly, it was more the fact that we made them look good by our own dismal performance. If you go back and watch the game a 2nd time, you will see what I mean.

Let's face it, they should have smashed us by 100+ points!!!!! Don't tell me they took the foot of the accelerator, they had no reason to! They have the week off and with the rivalry between the 2 teams, if they were able to, they would have made us suffer as much as humanly possible! Yes they had a couple of players of at the end, but so did we. This would have to have been one of if not THE worst performance from the Saints for the year!!

[degruch]

I think the umps were awe struck of the the Cats...as were the Saint's players...and most at the G watching.

It wasn't the fact that they played brilliantly, it was more the fact that we made them look good by our own dismal performance. If you go back and watch the game a 2nd time, you will see what I mean.

Let's face it, they should have smashed us by 100+ points!!!!! Don't tell me they took the foot of the accelerator, they had no reason to! They have the week off and with the rivalry between the 2 teams, if they were able to, they would have made us suffer as much as humanly possible! Yes they had a couple of players of at the end, but so did we. This would have to have been one of if not THE worst performance from the Saints for the year!!

I think Geelong has a habit of making you look dismal, even when you're not. We had a dirty day...if one freakin' bounce or spillage went our way I'd be gobsmacked. Yes, the umpiring was a crap as one would have expected...St Kilda defenders penalised for contesting the ball, every second Geelong clearance was due to the 'Geelongs Ball' free kick system, etc. But had no real bearing. E.g. a push in the back awarded to Milne within minutes would have got us off to a flyer. Mind you, 3 marks to Roo within minutes could have got us off to a flyer too...the guy had the worst game of his career, which is forgiveable, but lousy timing.

Geelong has a habit of catching us while we're down, but they also get into our heads. It was encouraging to see them trying to get a bit too cute throughout the match (cocky pricks), as it means that if we get our heads straight, we'll catch 'em with their pants down whilst they're running around looking flash. Collingwood did it to 'em, so why can't we???

[suss]

Geelong are absolute masters of 'the flop' too. Whenever a player looks like getting caught he takes a big Italian soccer star dive. The defender only needs to breath on their back and the banana brain umpires are all over it...

[degruch]

Geelong are absolute masters of 'the flop' too. Whenever a player looks like getting caught he takes a big Italian soccer star dive. The defender only needs to breath on their back and the banana brain umpires are all over it...

Interesting that they ignored Lings high clip early, but paid that ridiculous dive after Ottens' goal against Milne. The umpire who paid that one needs a rest for the finals series.

[your momma]

Thene thing though that consistently Geelong got away with was "holding the ball".

...

Especially in their back line, they were getting caught and we could not buy a free kick. As their players were allowed to try and beat one or two get caught, ball spills free .. no kick to us.

fqf

couldnt agree more.
and as soon as Lenny gets holding the ball once its down the cats foward, the question comes to his mind to the ump: "How many times did they (cats) do it down our 50?!" faarrr out.
but everything does have to be going our way to beat the bloody cats,
like:

all players in the team
top players playing their best
win the toss (good luck)
recieving (not just deserving) the frees
Geelong making mistakes
NOT wet weather
injuries for Geelong
CLEARENCES

i could go on but games with those little golden nuggets dont exist against the cats

[ozrulestrace]

I've watched other games involving Geelong and it's like they're the new Weagles (the 360 degree chance to get rid of the ball a la Judd).
Why?
It's like the umpires have two umpiring rules books running at the same time. One is marked "Gee-long" and the other marked "Others" so they umpire at two different levels at the same time depending on who they are looking at.
It's almost like the umpires are sub-conciously thinking " Oh this is Geelong, they're so good, they can't possibly be making a mistake,
where as look at the Saints I still blame them for Grant Thomas and his observations on us umpires. Time to blow the whistle"
I don't think the umps are corrupt as such, but I don't see them clear of personal bias against either the Saints or some of the other clubs.

[tweedaletomanning]

Expect more this week - A Collingwood/Geelong Grand Final would be the AFL's wet dream!!!! (/Conspirancy Theory Rant over)

Funnily enough i did see razor ray at the TAB putting a large sum of cash on the filth this morning

[bobmurray]

I don't notice the umpires all that much and i'm so glad about that,too much wasted energy getting frustrated at the maggots.....

Not when i use it all up getting frustrated at my team.....

[brown-coat]

Milne should have got a free kick for in the back in the opening minutes. Utterly disgraceful decision.

Then, later in the game in our forwardline a succession of Geelong players picked up the ball, had an opportunity to get rid of it, were tackled and dispossessed and not called for holding the ball. It was just bloody strange.

Why are cats players given such a lengthy time to get rid of the footy>

[jonesy]

Basically its 'the beaten up at school factor'. Good teams get looked after,the umpires want to to be respected by the big boys, it's factual.

You'd almost go as far as saying AFL umpires are un-Australian. Aussies love an underdog,but not the umpiring fraternity.

They bow down to the big boys and try and beat up the weak,as it takes the attention away from them being betaen up

[lefty]

That really p$ss's me off about Geelong.

They dont throw away the ball when their tackled. Thats what GOOD teams do. We just give it away.

But, having said that, the umpires were horrible for not paying holding the ball. There were so many times a Geelong player had an opportunity to get rid of it in our forward 50m but they got away with it. Made me v.angry, I should have recorded it.

One of the incidents was with Lenny, he was mighty angry, as I think most people would have been. Then as usual, Geelong get the next free kick from something utterly bs. They know they are hot so when they get tackled they instantly fall forward and get a 'in the back' free kick.

So there's two of Geelongs tactics.
1. Hold onto the ball, unless you hear a call.
2. Fall forward when your hot, as you'll most likely get a free kick for in the back.

[redwhite&blackblood]

I have watched the video and the 1st 2 marking attepmts of Roo he was infriged upon. 1st one Scarlett chopped his arms. the 2nd one Taylor pushed him in the back. yet we receive nothing.

Interesting count would be where the free for each team were paid. We got most of ours on the wings half back line they got there inside 50 where they could kick goals.

Kennedy and McInernery were appauling all day the other bloke was ok some of the time.

[Grimfang]

I think it was in the last Q, Gardiner coming out from the goal square on a lead with Harley hanging off him like he was trying to waterski. Umpires decision: Holding AGAINST Gardiner.

The crap the Geelong ruckmen were getting away with RIGHT IN FRONT of the umpire was unbelievable. When has it ever been within the rules to grab your opponent's jumper and pull him down in a ruck contest? Surely that's tackling someone not in possession of the ball?

[desertsaint]

advertiser stats:
goals from frees-
Cats - 4
Saints - 1

Which was about as one-sided as the umpiring during the first half.

Yes they gave the cats the benefit of the doubt time and time again, but afforded us no such luxury.
How can we overcome this?
By hitting hard, sticking tackles, and causing errors. Once their aura of perfection has been blown away the fog of perception shall lift from the eyes of umpires and commentators alike.

[Iceman234]

Just watching the game for the first time, there were some ordinary decisions and non-decisions.

The worst most blatantly obvious non-decision I've seen thus far is with 15:07 to go in the 3rd.

Ball up fifteen in from the boundary, Milne is CLEARLY having his jumper held by Enright, the umpire is "in-play", within 5 metres and looking directly at them as the ball is just in front of Milne - and "can't see it".

Umpire 7.

FFS what a clown.

[Ghost Like]

Umpire 7 is trying to get a gig in the GF by not making a decision. Forget putting your credibility on the line Umpire 7, just make sure you can bounce the ball. Weak as p1ss!

Gieschen doesn't help when he comes out and says there was only one bad goal umpiring decision over the week-end. Apparently kicking the ball out of the hands of the ball boy can still be called a goal.

What hope has the game got for better umpires when they can't be criticised constructively or otherwise. They want to be recognised, they want to wear numbers and coloured clothing, they want to be paid 6 figures, they just don't want to be held to account in the same way as players and coaches are for poor decisions.

Just another credibility issue for the AFL to go with the draw, the draft, expansion dreams, conflicts of interest and salary cap anomalies.

[ROLS-LEE]

what about Stevie J's ran down. If that was not the perfect interpretation of holding the ball what is. A saints player getting the ball and immediately getting tackled. And the countless in the back and chopping the arms rule in the forward line.
Also dont know why ottens late hit was not even sighted? but glad lenny got off