can someone tell me why...

[stinger]

We are a distant last in free kick differential, almost double the next worst..

NM +51
WCE +39
GEEL +26
MELB +12
ESS +7
ADEL +6
GC +6
WB 0
COLL -1
PORT -4
BRIS -5
FREM -7
HAW -10
SYD -10
RICH -12
CAR -19
GWS -20
STK -37

-37 is the worst free kick differential after only 10 Rounds since champion data began.

sort of proves my point doesn't it....but doesn't explain why......how the f*** can the roos get 88 frees more than us in just ten games.....about time the prez put his hand up....can't do us any more harm......

[bergholt]

It's not that the umpires deliberately pick on any one team, it's that they're part-time amateurs who work a day job during the week and umpire on weekends.

I reckon that's basically correct. It's a very hard job to do well - and they're not even getting close to that. It's probably as inconsistent as it's ever been, and we're not very good this year so we end up on the wrong side of that more often than not. I can't see the logical justification for bias though.

[bergholt]

NM +51
STK -37

sort of proves my point doesn't it....but doesn't explain why......how the f*** can the roos get 88 frees more than us in just ten games...

One potentially valid explanation could be that our tackling technique is very poor and theirs is very good.

[CURLY]

NM +51
STK -37

sort of proves my point doesn't it....but doesn't explain why......how the f*** can the roos get 88 frees more than us in just ten games...

One potentially valid explanation could be that our tackling technique is very poor and theirs is very good.

Incorrect the North v West Coast game proved that.

[stinger]

NM +51
STK -37

sort of proves my point doesn't it....but doesn't explain why......how the f*** can the roos get 88 frees more than us in just ten games...

One potentially valid explanation could be that our tackling technique is very poor and theirs is very good.

got an explanation why milne can be basically assaulted mugged and robbed on a footy field without even the maggots blinking an eye?????


i saw four infringments that would have eventuated in a free kick to any other player ...in just one game.....even the commentators...baised as they were...commented on the last one......


by the way...i don't have a problem with all but two of the frees paid to the doggies.....just with the ones not paid to us...in both the roos and dogs games......

[bergholt]

got an explanation why milne can be basically assaulted mugged and robbed on a footy field without even the maggots blinking an eye?????

Nah, I have no doubt that they pre-judge him so he always gets the rough end of the pineapple. I just don't think that extends through the rest of the team.

[stinger]

got an explanation why milne can be basically assaulted mugged and robbed on a footy field without even the maggots blinking an eye?????

Nah, I have no doubt that they pre-judge him so he always gets the rough end of the pineapple. I just don't think that extends through the rest of the team.

roo gets the odd free...but i saw another four or five that he should have got in the doggies game......clear blatant infringements, not paid......

...so that's two treated unfairly for starters....armo is another one who nearly gets his head pulled off in most games without a free being paid.....i could go on.....

[Life Long Saint]

We are a distant last in free kick differential, almost double the next worst..

NM +51
WCE +39
GEEL +26
MELB +12
ESS +7
ADEL +6
GC +6
WB 0
COLL -1
PORT -4
BRIS -5
FREM -7
HAW -10
SYD -10
RICH -12
CAR -19
GWS -20
STK -37

-37 is the worst free kick differential after only 10 Rounds since champion data began.

sort of proves my point doesn't it....but doesn't explain why......how the f*** can the roos get 88 frees more than us in just ten games.....about time the prez put his hand up....can't do us any more harm......

My problem with this, and it seems to be the same view as most posters on here, is that it's the frees that aren't paid the our way that is the reason for the discrepancy.
We absolutely need to address this with the AFL...as we will be -80 by the end of the season if we don't.
We need to go with a two-fold plan...
1. Why are we giving away so many frees...especially inside our defensive 50?
2. Why are our forwards not receiving frees for the same infringements?

[stinger]

We are a distant last in free kick differential, almost double the next worst..

NM +51
WCE +39
GEEL +26
MELB +12
ESS +7
ADEL +6
GC +6
WB 0
COLL -1
PORT -4
BRIS -5
FREM -7
HAW -10
SYD -10
RICH -12
CAR -19
GWS -20
STK -37

-37 is the worst free kick differential after only 10 Rounds since champion data began.

sort of proves my point doesn't it....but doesn't explain why......how the f*** can the roos get 88 frees more than us in just ten games.....about time the prez put his hand up....can't do us any more harm......

My problem with this, and it seems to be the same view as most posters on here, is that it's the frees that aren't paid the our way that is the reason for the discrepancy.
We absolutely need to address this with the AFL...as we will be -80 by the end of the season if we don't.
We need to go with a two-fold plan...
1. Why are we giving away so many frees...especially inside our defensive 50?
2. Why are our forwards not receiving frees for the same infringements?

gotta agree with that....

[jonesy]

Possible reasons,
GTs comments still linger
An AFL directive due to a behind the scenes infringement and cover up by the club
Maybe we are smart a$$'s on the field and the umps are paying back

Anyone who has watched the last 18 months of our games,can surely observe we have been obliterated and targeted

[stinger]

Possible reasons,
GTs comments still linger
An AFL directive due to a behind the scenes infringement and cover up by the club
Maybe we are smart a$$'s on the field and the umps are paying back

Anyone who has watched the last 18 months of our games,can surely observe we have been obliterated and targeted

yep...and it only the naive, fooish or afl apologists who fail to see/acknowledge that...imhfo that is....

[Dis Believer]

Just read an interesting stat (haven't researched it's validity at this stage) that in 2012 the team that got the most free kicks won the match in 89% of games !! That's a staggering statistic. Whilst we recognise that better teams are going to be first to the ball, lay more tackles etc and probably win more free kicks, the fact that the winning outcome so closely tracks winning the free kick count is a real concern.
What about all the teams that are relatively closely matched? We often say that free kicks don't determine the outcome of a game, but the statistics seem to say otherwise....

[CURLY]

[quote="True Believer"]Just read an interesting stat (haven't researched it's validity at this stage) that in 2012 the team that got the most free kicks won the match in 89% of games !! That's a staggering statistic. Whilst we recognise that better teams are going to be first to the ball, lay more tackles etc and probably win more free kicks, the fact that the winning outcome so closely tracks winning the free kick count is a real concern.
What about all the teams that are relatively closely matched? We often say that free kicks don't determine the outcome of a game, but the statistics seem to say otherwise....[/quote]


The Richmond game is a perfect example of a team winning on the back of umpiring its impossible to argue against.

[kosifantutti]

The umpires didn't pay the mark to Picken.

he stood there for a couple of seconds then kicked the ball......i'd say that he thought he marked it...and the maggots didn't object.....it was either a mark or a free to roo....

Why would the umpires object? There's no rule against standing there with the ball.

[plugger66]

It looks like we are targeted. It makes sense. Looking at the stats we finish with the biggest differential every year. Well this year. And look at Roos. The afl obviously want them to succeed.

[stinger]

The umpires didn't pay the mark to Picken.

he stood there for a couple of seconds then kicked the ball......i'd say that he thought he marked it...and the maggots didn't object.....it was either a mark or a free to roo....

Why would the umpires object? There's no rule against standing there with the ball.

i thought they paid a mark to picken...you say they didn't...we can agree to disagree....but it was either a mark to roo...or a free...neither of which were paid......

[resaintlee]

One of my tigers mates said we copped it because the umps hated our negative footy under Lyon. A melbourne mate has a theory on assumed shitness. Mine is on bookmakers buying them off.

When something appears to be an obvious answer perhaps it is.
A 10 goal win to North, who'd have backed that?
Can you bet on the number of free kicks?

[plugger66]

One of my tigers mates said we copped it because the umps hated our negative footy under Lyon. A melbourne mate has a theory on assumed shitness. Mine is on bookmakers buying them off.

When something appears to be an obvious answer perhaps it is.
A 10 goal win to North, who'd have backed that?
Can you bet on the number of free kicks?

No you cant an many would have thought the roos would win by 10 goals.

[joffaboy]

One of my tigers mates said we copped it because the umps hated our negative footy under Lyon. A melbourne mate has a theory on assumed shitness. Mine is on bookmakers buying them off.

When something appears to be an obvious answer perhaps it is.
A 10 goal win to North, who'd have backed that?
Can you bet on the number of free kicks?

No you cant an many would have thought the roos would win by 10 goals.

Of course you can. You can bet on anything. Legally? Maybe not, but Indian bookies and organised crime have corrupted officials in criket, Seria A in Italy, in Sth American soccer, why not something that is so unregulated as the umpires in Aussie Rules.

Are you saying it cant happen even after Mathew Head bragged out fixing games?

[plugger66]

When something appears to be an obvious answer perhaps it is.
A 10 goal win to North, who'd have backed that?
Can you bet on the number of free kicks?

No you cant an many would have thought the roos would win by 10 goals.

Of course you can. You can bet on anything. Legally? Maybe not, but Indian bookies and organised crime have corrupted officials in criket, Seria A in Italy, in Sth American soccer, why not something that is so unregulated as the umpires in Aussie Rules.

Are you saying it cant happen even after Mathew Head bragged out fixing games?

Yes i am saying that and yes you maybe able to bet on the frees but I doubt it. Are you actually saying umpires know how many frees they will give in a game?

[felix]

We beat Carlton with us wearing a new jumper the umps forgot we were st Kilda for a bit ...lets wear new jumpers more often...

[older saint]

Or perhaps we are undisciplined and second to the ball , which poor clearances will support, and with younger players they tend to give away more frees and do not get any 50/50 calls ( same in all teams young players). Yes there have been games where we have been screwed - Richmond last qtr but there are other reason beside everyone hates us etc'

[joffaboy]

Yes i am saying that and yes you maybe able to bet on the frees but I doubt it. Are you actually saying umpires know how many frees they will give in a game?

If the biggest sports in the world, baseball, cricket, soccer can have corrupt officials, how can you blanket deny that umpires in Australian Rules, especially ones that are so protected and the rules intrepretations so ambigious, that they cant be corrupted? Why is Aussie Rules so different to every other sport and every other aspect of life that can easily be corrupted.

If you know anything about spot fixing, it would be easy for them to say, NOT GIVE A FREE KICK IN THE FIRST QUARTER TO ONE TEAM. Easy to do that. I am sure that may have even happened in a game recently.

Now of course I am not saying the umpires were paid off on a spot fix bet, but it would be easy for it to happen. Easier in cricket with balls and overs, but still can occur.

but hey you say it cant happen. You give absolutely no reason for WHY it couldn't happen, but apparently because you have umpired you know that it cant happen.

Well thats all the proof we all need then

[8856brother]

It's probably as inconsistent as it's ever been, and we're not very good this year so we end up on the wrong side of that more often than not.

How do we explain Melbourne's +12 if you use this theory?

[Iceman234]

Have a mate who umpired VFL and AFL - good standard umpire and reasonably well known. Has told me on numerous drinking occasions that he grew up supporting Geelong and hated Saints, pretty much we were his "Collingwood". Said it was natural that those biases were brought into games and loved every chance to crucify us.