Free against Blake in the first quarter...

[Harvey To Hayes]

Can't remember too many worse decisions in front of goal... How can you be so inept at your job and still be employed on a relatively lucrative contract.... Absolutely disgraceful....

[Oh When the Saints]

The one against Hudghton for a legitimate spoil on Fevola was the worst decision I've seen.

Disgusting.

[LENNY LEADS THE WAY]

Yeah it was bad it ALMOST looked like he was going to tackle him high and around the shoulders but Blake got him a beauty around the chesat that decision was an absolute disgrace.

I dropped the f bomb constantly with the umpires especially with that decision and the max push in the back FFS UMPIRE

Gotta say though gilbert needs to get his hands out o the back of his opponent

[Huzzad]

Absolute joke that decision. Umps will get reprimanded for that for sure. The one against Maxy previously highlighted was also a disgrace. It GT was still coach, he'd have a 50,000 dollar fine in the morning.

[ark]

Paid by...step forward..umpire Matthew Head...didn't he have something to say about "his team" on the plane back from Perth a few years ago? (sorry if my memory is wrong on this one)

Well - "the other team" certainly imposed themselves on the game tonight!

[Solar]

Paid by...step forward..umpire Matthew Head...didn't he have something to say about "his team" on the plane back from Perth a few years ago? (sorry if my memory is wrong on this one)

Well - "the other team" certainly imposed themselves on the game tonight!

nup got it in one....

just no sense of the game sometimes, thats the biggest problem. One that did my head in actually went our way but highlighted this inability to understand the game.

The ball went forward to a unmarked kosi. He took the mark but the ball was taken off him and given to milne. The reason for this? A pull of the jumper which had no bearing on the actual contest. He was never going to get to the contest and in fact we had the ball metres away anyway All it did was get another free on the stats sheet and not reward the forward who ran back hard and got the mark.

This happens with holding the ball situations when a player has a free team mate nearby and yet cannot get it to them because a tackle is preventing the handpass. Most logical people would think this through to suggest if the player could, they would hand pass, it is actually in their interest to get the ball moving. Yet they punish this player by suggesting he didn't try to get it out ?????????????

another is the kick forward to a player which misses the mark and goes out being paid deliberate, or the defender punching the ball and slightly touching the forwards arms. Common sense people!!

[Saints Premiers 2008]

some of the decisions are a little...pathetic

but in the end the rules are a little on the poor side so the umpires cannot be blamed...they are just doing their job based on what they are instructed to do and what to look out for

win some loose some cannot really be helped

[suss]

If Matthew Head is the skinny balding bloke then he's the worst in the league. He made some shockers last night including the Blake tackle and the frees against Maxi. I actually thought the shorter bloke with black hair was really good.

Can anybody answer this question: do the umpires switch ends at the quarters? IMO they need to keep the umpires at the same end throughout the game otherwise it exacerbates the problem when you get a gimp at one end and a good umpire at the other.

[meher baba]

What's really amazing is the way that the umpires keep hitting new lows.

It's a bit like the swimming world records: you think they can't get any lower, and then there is some sort of a coaching breakthrough and down they go.

The Fevola/Hudghton incident could have been interpreted as a push in the back (even though I personally wouldn't want to interpret it that way and I think the ump got it wrong: although I can sort of understand why he thought he should blow his whistle).

But the free on Blake was easily the worst decision I have ever seen (and that's saying something).

The umpire was right there, Blake clearly made the tackle well below the shoulder and side on. How could the ump possibly have reached the conclusion that he should blow for a free kick that would give the opposition a certain 6 points? It's not as if his view was obscured or if there was anything he saw that was open to interpretation. It was just a standard, perfectly legitimate tackle of the type you see hundreds of times a season.

The clown should be permanently removed from the umpiring list. If you can't get basic things like that right, you don't deserve to be umpiring at the top level.

[snoopygirl]

Interesting question Cirra. I asked a friend of mine who is a boundary umpire in the AFL & they actually rotate throughout the game as they follow the ball to the next stoppage & the other 2 are meant to be looking for indiscretions off the ball. Not sure if this works in practice though.

[mad saint guy]

I would have to agree that the Blake free kick was the worst I have ever seen (at any level). Absolutely disgraceful and that umpire should not be let near an AFL game again.

[matrix]

The one against Hudghton for a legitimate spoil on Fevola was the worst decision I've seen.

Disgusting.

if thats the one where max spits it (lol, classic) after a strong fast lead then watch it again.
max had the left arm around his waste....and according to he rules u cant do that.
pathetic yes...but thats the rules.

oh and the decision on blake was really a bad call, it was called over the shoulder, when it wasnt.

[Snakeman66]

The one against Hudghton for a legitimate spoil on Fevola was the worst decision I've seen.

Disgusting.

if thats the one where max spits it (lol, classic) after a strong fast lead then watch it again.
max had the left arm around his waste....and according to he rules u cant do that.
pathetic yes...but thats the rules.

oh and the decision on blake was really a bad call, it was called over the shoulder, when it wasnt.

Fevola had Max's arm tucked under his arm holding it in.

[matrix]

The one against Hudghton for a legitimate spoil on Fevola was the worst decision I've seen.

Disgusting.

if thats the one where max spits it (lol, classic) after a strong fast lead then watch it again.
max had the left arm around his waste....and according to he rules u cant do that.
pathetic yes...but thats the rules.

oh and the decision on blake was really a bad call, it was called over the shoulder, when it wasnt.

Fevola had Max's arm tucked under his arm holding it in.

so he was leading out the square at full pace attempting to mark one handed?
i musta missed that bit.

[bozza1980]

The one against Hudghton for a legitimate spoil on Fevola was the worst decision I've seen.

Disgusting.

if thats the one where max spits it (lol, classic) after a strong fast lead then watch it again.
max had the left arm around his waste....and according to he rules u cant do that.
pathetic yes...but thats the rules.

oh and the decision on blake was really a bad call, it was called over the shoulder, when it wasnt.

Fevola had Max's arm tucked under his arm holding it in.

so he was leading out the square at full pace attempting to mark one handed?
i musta missed that bit.

You can still have use of your hands whilst locking your opponents arm with yours.

[Juggernaut]

I don't know if it was shown on the TV coverage but when Judd went to the centre circle for the coin toss he shook hands with the ump and the kid who was going to toss the coin Roo on the otherhand shook the kids hand only and ignored the ump.. Don't blame him though with the treatment he gets lately
I turned to my mate said watch this Carton are gunna get looked after here and sure enough thats exactly what happened.

This week Roo needs to stand up show some leadership and shake the maggots hand

[Armoooo]

Terrible umpiring both ways, but mostly our way...

I don't know how people can call Riewoldt a protected species and not Murphy...

[stinger]

The one against Hudghton for a legitimate spoil on Fevola was the worst decision I've seen.

Disgusting.

if thats the one where max spits it (lol, classic) after a strong fast lead then watch it again.
max had the left arm around his waste....and according to he rules u cant do that.
pathetic yes...but thats the rules.

oh and the decision on blake was really a bad call, it was called over the shoulder, when it wasnt.

not allowed to put his arm around and actually hold him...which max didn't do....anyway ..the giesch has already said it was a bad decision......so you are wrong......

[st.byron]

FFS all you lot posting diatribes about how crap / hopeless / biased etc the umpires are. Give them a break. The game is so fast nowadays and the rules or interpretations of rules are changing all the time. Interesting article in yesterday's paper interviewing Gieschen, saying that the umps are trying to protect the ballplayer at all costs, hence the number of frees paid to forwards such as the ones paid to Fev against Max last Saturday. Hard on the backmen I reckon, and I agree that it's hard to tell who's grabbing who in some contests, but it's not the umpires fault if they've been instructed to umpire in a certain way. Sheet the blame home to Adrian Anderson and Demetriou if anyone. They're making contested marks a thing of the past. There seems to be a whistle on just about every contest.
As for the Blake kick, yes it was a crap decision. It happened right in front of me and my brother and we both had to look at the replay before we could see for sure though. The umps don't have that luxury.
And as for you conspiracy theorists thinking that any umpire sets out to disadvantage one team or another. Pffft!!!!

[stinger]

you are overlooking that the giesch said the max and fev decision was WRONG.....

[Mr Magic]

FFS all you lot posting diatribes about how crap / hopeless / biased etc the umpires are. Give them a break. The game is so fast nowadays and the rules or interpretations of rules are changing all the time. Interesting article in yesterday's paper interviewing Gieschen, saying that the umps are trying to protect the ballplayer at all costs, hence the number of frees paid to forwards such as the ones paid to Fev against Max last Saturday. Hard on the backmen I reckon, and I agree that it's hard to tell who's grabbing who in some contests, but it's not the umpires fault if they've been instructed to umpire in a certain way. Sheet the blame home to Adrian Anderson and Demetriou if anyone. They're making contested marks a thing of the past. There seems to be a whistle on just about every contest.
As for the Blake kick, yes it was a crap decision. It happened right in front of me and my brother and we both had to look at the replay before we could see for sure though. The umps don't have that luxury.
And as for you conspiracy theorists thinking that any umpire sets out to disadvantage one team or another. Pffft!!!!

I for one have no issue with teh umpires paying free kicks for infringements against the rules (even if the rule is crap).

Where I do have a problem with the umpires is as follows:-
When they nare not in a good position to pay the free kick and still pay it - just guessing what has happened.
When they don't apply their interpretations/rulings in a consistent manner.

If all of the frees' paid to Fev and his fellow forwards were acceptablew (apart from the 2 highlighted as obviously wrong) then I would humbly suggest that Roo is entitled to a free just about every time he goes for teh ball. Yet he doesn't get them (despite the popiularly held view of other supporters) he is allowed to be 'mauled' much more than other forwards (except Hall).

All those lauding Waite's game on Saturday may care to reflect, after watching the replay of the game, how 'well' he would have done on Roo if he was umpired to the same standard as the Saints defenders were on Saturday night?

[skeptic]

I would have to agree that the Blake free kick was the worst I have ever seen (at any level). Absolutely disgraceful and that umpire should not be let near an AFL game again.

I was once running the boundary U17s in the SE league... a player picked the ball up in the middle, weaved through a pack, 2 bounces and then copped a coat hanger... knocked the guy out... field umpire payed holding the ball... never seen anything like it

[Dan Warna]

I would have to agree that the Blake free kick was the worst I have ever seen (at any level). Absolutely disgraceful and that umpire should not be let near an AFL game again.

I was once running the boundary U17s in the SE league... a player picked the ball up in the middle, weaved through a pack, 2 bounces and then copped a coat hanger... knocked the guy out... field umpire payed holding the ball... never seen anything like it

i have seen possibly the worst decision ever.

Nathan burke, in front, gets tackled, from behind, falls over, broken leg out for several months, the umpire pays a trip....AGAINST BURKE.

i think the folks up the front of the MW heard my torrent of abuse to the umpire that day

[HarveysDeciple]

I would have to agree that the Blake free kick was the worst I have ever seen (at any level). Absolutely disgraceful and that umpire should not be let near an AFL game again.

I was once running the boundary U17s in the SE league... a player picked the ball up in the middle, weaved through a pack, 2 bounces and then copped a coat hanger... knocked the guy out... field umpire payed holding the ball... never seen anything like it

i have seen possibly the worst decision ever.

Nathan burke, in front, gets tackled, from behind, falls over, broken leg out for several months, the umpire pays a trip....AGAINST BURKE.

i think the folks up the front of the MW heard my torrent of abuse to the umpire that day

Against the Cats in 1999 Burke was weaving through traffic and copped a bit of high contact which knocked him out, he fell to the ground and lost posession of the ball. it was sitting next to him leaning up against his arm.

Burke on the ground, head in hands and Hocking runs up grabs his jumper, umpire pays holding the ball. free kick to geelong.
there have been some amazing calls in footy.

[st.byron]

I for one have no issue with teh umpires paying free kicks for infringements against the rules (even if the rule is crap).

Where I do have a problem with the umpires is as follows:-
When they nare not in a good position to pay the free kick and still pay it - just guessing what has happened.
When they don't apply their interpretations/rulings in a consistent manner.

If all of the frees' paid to Fev and his fellow forwards were acceptablew (apart from the 2 highlighted as obviously wrong) then I would humbly suggest that Roo is entitled to a free just about every time he goes for teh ball. Yet he doesn't get them (despite the popiularly held view of other supporters) he is allowed to be 'mauled' much more than other forwards (except Hall).

All those lauding Waite's game on Saturday may care to reflect, after watching the replay of the game, how 'well' he would have done on Roo if he was umpired to the same standard as the Saints defenders were on Saturday night?

Magic, I agree that umps aren't always consistent. And yes Gieschen came out and said that there were decisions last Saturday that were wrong.
But you're still sounding shrill and one-eyed to me.
There were plenty of frees paid to us that Carlscum supporters would be having just the same kind of discussion we are - " If the umpire was consistent Fev would have had more kicks. How about that free kick to Schneider etc.etc etc."
Players make mistakes - poor decisions, skill and handling errors - all the time, and we forgive them because they're human.
Unless you want the game umpired by robots, then there are going to be mistakes. It all evens out in the end. Some games you're on the rough end of the stick, some you're not. It's just how it is.
I'm buggered if I know how you can see, from the stands, the intricacies of decisions for and against players in the split second they happen with the players running at full tilt. I often can't and have to wait for the replay to check it out. The umpires do their best to get into position to umpire the game, but like the players, they aren't always in the right spot. Umpires are soft targets, especially when your team isn't performing.
That d*ickhead Wenger, who manages Arsenal, is in the paper this morning, complaing how the ref cost him the game. I've heard him whinge many times, but funnily enough, never when Arsenal win.