perfectionist wrote: ↑Wed 14 Aug 2019 5:58pm
Sainter_Dad wrote: ↑Wed 14 Aug 2019 5:06pm
...
I wonder how many other decisions/umpires have been affected by this bias!!!
...
At a rough guess, I would say 100%. It's hardly new. For as long as I can remember (147 years - just call me Digger) well known players have had a certain way of playing that attracts the attention of umpires. Players who 'play for a free' are one such group, one which has included players like Kevin Bartlett all the way through to Joel Selwood, including a few from the Saints as well. Supporters (of other clubs) demand that such players not be given frees even though they are "technically" there. Umpires should have the position that until the AFL changes the rules (I.e. if a player ducks) then they should pay all frees. But how does an umpire know whether a player has deliberately ducked are just bent over this once? Player form - i.e. umpire bias.
We all know that had Adam Schneider never played for a free in his life, he would have been awarded one in the last quarter of the 2009 GF. But, like eliminating bias in the the rest of human activities, eliminating bias in umpiring is never going to happen completely either, but it's a lot less than it used to be. If you have ever get a chance to talk to Cowboy Neale, ask him his opinion of umpire Ian Robinson (who holds the record for the number of GFs umpired).
My ex and i got invited to lunch with Cowboy many years ago.
The ex was a real pain in the you know what., with no sense of humor.
The talk turned to Tasmania and players like Bonney, Stewart and the Doc.
Cowboy was holding the floor and sprouting wisdom as was his habit.
He said only three good things ever came out of Tasmania, Footballers, Apples and Whores.
The ex turned bright red and was evidently livid, indignant even.
"I will have you know that I am a Tasmanian." she huffed.
Quick as a flash, Cowboy retorted, " Really. What team did you play for."
l laughed, but was in the s*** for days for not speaking up and defending her.
True story, cross my heart.