29 TO 10 FREE KICKS

[The Sainter]

Time the umpires got over Thomas's remarks about their egos and stop treating Saints players as dirty players all the time. Of course there will be no outcry from our coach or our president.
We let this competition treat us as a second rate club. we get short changed every year at the tribunal unlike the Swans who are given a dream run each time. I have been following my beloved Saints now for over 60 years and consider myself a fair supporter but since Grant's infamous remark about the umpires we have been getting a raw deal week after week by them. What is deemed a free kick for the opposition players seems to be ignored when the same thing happens to one of our players.
Perhaps Chapman got it right last week against the Dogs, are the umpires cheats? It seems to be certainly so in our case. 29 to 10. god how would Collingwood have reacted to such a lopsided figure?????? It would be headlines on the back page of the Herald Sun for sure.

[JeffDunne]

Agree entirely.

Until we're a club that the AFL determines that us winning "Is good for football", it won't change though.

In fact I suspect it's about to get worse. We're about to add two more teams that the AFL will argue "need to be successful for the good of football"

The AFL aren't in the business of promoting sporting equity, they're in the entertainment business.

AndyD is Australia's Vince MacMahon - without the muscle.

[plugger66]

They are cheats thats for sure. Just cant work out why they wanted us to lose and WCE to win.

[spert]

The holding the ball rule didn't seem to apply at all when we tackled WCE players...stuck out like a sore thumb.

[ace]

Two possibilites

With both West Australian teams near the bottom of the ladder and not going to play in the finals the AFL needed to reduce the loss of interest in football in the West

There is big money to be made out of upsets.
Second bottom team versus team in the eight.
If umpires keep the lower team in the game there is always the possibility of manipulating an upset.
Most times the umpires could not prevent the better team from winning but when successful, the bookies win, and anyone in the know (any umpires connections) wins big.

Was this a case of corruption or incompetence we will never know.
Any player, coach or club making a suggestion of corruption will be destroyed by Demetriou.
Any journalist making a suggestion of corruption will be frozen out by Demetriou.
Demetriou will never investigate because any leak of an investigation implies he thinks there is corruption.

Corruption or not the umpires had another big win.

[Bowey Boy]

When playing in Perth I just assume that we start from 30 Points behind. History has shown that to be a pretty good guide to the deficit that has to be made up from the "umpiring interference".

[plugger66]

Two possibilites

With both West Australian teams near the bottom of the ladder and not going to play in the finals the AFL needed to reduce the loss of interest in football in the West

There is big money to be made out of upsets.
Second bottom team versus team in the eight.
If umpires keep the lower team in the game there is always the possibility of manipulating an upset.
Most times the umpires could not prevent the better team from winning but when successful, the bookies win, and anyone in the know (any umpires connections) wins big.

Was this a case of corruption or incompetence we will never know.
Any player, coach or club making a suggestion of corruption will be destroyed by Demetriou.
Any journalist making a suggestion of corruption will be frozen out by Demetriou.
Demetriou will never investigate because any leak of an investigation implies he thinks there is corruption.

Corruption or not the umpires had another big win.

Only seems to happen to us.

[saintsRrising]

Look free kick count was poor...no doubt.

But our play was worse.

Also we could have shut up the crowd...and hence some of the free kick imbalance...IF we had kicked the easy goals that we should have.

The game should have been won by us at quarter time....but our players blew it and allowed the Eagles back in.

[plugger66]

Look free kick count was poor...no doubt.

But our play was worse.

Also we could have shut up the crowd...and hence some of the free kick imbalance...IF we had kicked the easy goals that we should have.

The game should have been one by us at quarter time....but our players blew it and allowed the Eagles back in.

Now that is a sensible post.

[saintsRrising]

Next week....do you want the players turning up thinking...if we get a better go from the umpires that they may win?

Or that if they turn up and have a fair dinkum crack and apply themselves that theywill havea ood chance of winning?

[Sam23]

Another game in perth where umpires have cost us the game.

Getting beyond a joke.

[Con Gorozidis]

Agree entirely.

Until we're a club that the AFL determines that us winning "Is good for football", it won't change though.

In fact I suspect it's about to get worse. We're about to add two more teams that the AFL will argue "need to be successful for the good of football"

The AFL aren't in the business of promoting sporting equity, they're in the entertainment business.

AndyD is Australia's Vince MacMahon - without the muscle.

i hate the afl but you arent seriously suggesting a conspiracy from umpires against the saints?

blaming the umps is the scourge of the desperate supporter. noone mentions the umps when we win and lo and behold when we win the other supporters blame the umps.

the fact is if you are second to the ball, behind and dont have you head over the ball you tend to give away more frees. which is the same reason you are losing in the first place. they are the same side of the coin.

2nd in - when you dont want to win your own hard ball. you lose the game and you give away frees.

[CURLY]

No doubt we werent at our best in fact we looked dead on our feet and for fair reason injuries to Max and Gram limited our rotations. But anyone who beleive a free kick count of such a differance doesnt have a baring on a game has there head up there backside. To find 29 infringments one way( just happened to be the home side) and only 10 is a matter to be looked into. Yes players must have the discipline to block out such things but that sort of lop sided count destroys a teams confidence.

[JeffDunne]

Agree entirely.

Until we're a club that the AFL determines that us winning "Is good for football", it won't change though.

In fact I suspect it's about to get worse. We're about to add two more teams that the AFL will argue "need to be successful for the good of football"

The AFL aren't in the business of promoting sporting equity, they're in the entertainment business.

AndyD is Australia's Vince MacMahon - without the muscle.

i hate the afl but you arent seriously suggesting a conspiracy from umpires against the saints?

blaming the umps is the scourge of the desperate supporter. noone mentions the umps when we win and lo and behold when we win the other supporters blame the umps.

the fact is if you are second to the ball, behind and dont have you head over the ball you tend to give away more frees. which is the same reason you are losing in the first place. they are the same side of the coin.

2nd in - when you dont want to win your own hard ball. you lose the game and you give away frees.

Blah, blah, blah


We have plenty of cases in professional sport of umpries and officials acting in corrupt ways.

You do know that the AFL themselves hired private invetigators at one point to exaime if they could find evidence of corruption in the umpiring ranks?

You did know that didn't you?

[Con Gorozidis]

You do know that the AFL themselves hired private invetigators at one point to exaime if they could find evidence of corruption in the umpiring ranks?

nope i didnt. but since cricket/tennis scandals id say that is prudent risk management and probably routine - so no big deal and hardly warrants a conspiracy. you claming "inside knowledge" also smacks of a fantatist.

i agree 10-29 is plain silly and it ALWAYS goes to the home side.

still reckon blaming umps is a joke and provides a crutch to the players and provides succour to the fantasist supporter.

fact is saints should try going for the ball and kicking to targets. amazing what happens (see hawks game) when you do that.

[CURLY]

You do know that the AFL themselves hired private invetigators at one point to exaime if they could find evidence of corruption in the umpiring ranks?

nope i didnt. but since cricket/tennis scandals id say that is prudent risk management and probably routine - so no big deal and hardly warrants a conspiracy. you claming "inside knowledge" also smacks of a fantatist.

i agree 10-29 is plain silly and it ALWAYS goes to the home side.

still reckon blaming umps is a joke and provides a crutch to the players and provides succour to the fantasist supporter.

fact is saints should try going for the ball and kicking to targets. amazing what happens (see hawks game) when you do that.

Yes and if the player your kicking it to is continually mauled and scragged with no reward what do you do? Fact is 29-10 is a bias and it costs teams games. You know yoyrself when your playing that it feels like theres extra men on the ground. If this was Collingwood there would be a full blown inquery.

[Con Gorozidis]

ok i stand corrected. saints are the best team ever and only the umps and the pesky afl prevent us taking our rightful premieship every year.

feel better now?

[SENsei]

Only losers blame umpires.

WE lost the game. Simple.

[saintsRrising]

Also when you get to the ball first....and put your body in...it is amzing how the free kicks go your way...

[BallBanger]

They are cheats thats for sure. Just cant work out why they wanted us to lose and WCE to win.

Maybe plugger, the afl saved money by appointing perth umpires to arbitrate...
Get your head out of the sand - Have a look at basketball/cricket etc hometown decisions, cheating does happen...we played sht and deserved to lose but we do not deserve unfavourable/unequal treatment from commentators/umpires

[JeffDunne]

You do know that the AFL themselves hired private invetigators at one point to exaime if they could find evidence of corruption in the umpiring ranks?

nope i didnt. but since cricket/tennis scandals id say that is prudent risk management and probably routine - so no big deal and hardly warrants a conspiracy. you claming "inside knowledge" also smacks of a fantatist.

Who's claiming inside knowledge?

i agree 10-29 is plain silly and it ALWAYS goes to the home side.

So you agree but you'll disagree simply to take a contrary position?

still reckon blaming umps is a joke and provides a crutch to the players and provides succour to the fantasist supporter.

I've been more critical of the players and matchups than I have been of the umpires.

We should have won the game even with the free kick count.

That doesn't justify the blatantly biased officiating.

fact is saints should try going for the ball and kicking to targets. amazing what happens (see hawks game) when you do that.

Next you'll be telling me the sky is blue.

Thanks for the input though. I might have missed that blatantly obvious point.

[JeffDunne]

Oh, and for those pushing the "when you're first in . . . " lines, try checking the game stats.

The game was almost a dead heat in every statistical measurement except the umpiring.

[WayneJudson42]

I only managed to see the 2nd half on Fox.

Apart from Gilbo's stupid push, I reckon we were crucified with a lack of consistancy.

See the decisions against BJ in the last. Don't mind that they are paid, but FFS, be consistant!

We tackle a guy down and they pay in the back. same happens to us... no kick.

I've stopped blaming the umps, and we didn't deserve to win. But gee, that was crap.

[Con Gorozidis]

Oh, and for those pushing the "when you're first in . . . " lines, try checking the game stats.

The game was almost a dead heat in every statistical measurement except the umpiring.

ffs

ok umps have it in for us. they dont like us. we get picked on.

sky is blue yes.

you get in first the frees fall your way. when your own team kicks to the other teams advantage you are 2nd in. out of position and prone to frees.

blaming the umps is juvenile

[JeffDunne]

Con, maybe you could explain then why the free kick count was so lopsided when we were clearly winning the contest?

Blaming the umpires maybe juvenile, but so too is making generalisations such as that comment.