Free kick count

[I love the saints!]

Port knew that the umps were on their side. Every time they were tackled the first thing they did was duck the head and the umps more often than not said "yes son that will be a free kick to you". I think it was in the last quarter when Roo tackled a Port diver who basically headbutted Roo's shoulder and instead of calling ball up next to the goal square in our 50 or holding the ball the ump gave him a free! Yes we made some bad errors but so did they! The umpiring was terribly inconsistent and greatly influenced the outcome of the match. A difference in the count of 11 plus 5 50's certainly points to the umpires inability to remain neutral.

There was one fifty they got and Polo didn't even touch the bloke! We got roughed up a couple of times after taking marks and given the way the match was umpired you would think that might result in a couple of 50's to us. Furthermore the areas on the ground when and where we got our frees mostly weren't in as advanced or attacking positions as their frees. Howis that fair? BTW what does Lenny have to do to get a free when he is being mugged at the stoppages? In conclusion I must say that was one of the worst umpiring performances I have seen in a long time and I agree with comment about the umpires laying money down on Port at good odds.

[Thinline]

We got a few roughies. Can't control that. .

More pressing was the fact we were second to the pill at stoppages. We CAN control that.

[plugger66]

Port knew that the umps were on their side. Every time they were tackled the first thing they did was duck the head and the umps more often than not said "yes son that will be a free kick to you". I think it was in the last quarter when Roo tackled a Port diver who basically headbutted Roo's shoulder and instead of calling ball up next to the goal square in our 50 or holding the ball the ump gave him a free! Yes we made some bad errors but so did they! The umpiring was terribly inconsistent and greatly influenced the outcome of the match. A difference in the count of 11 plus 5 50's certainly points to the umpires inability to remain neutral.

There was one fifty they got and Polo didn't even touch the bloke! We got roughed up a couple of times after taking marks and given the way the match was umpired you would think that might result in a couple of 50's to us. Furthermore the areas on the ground when and where we got our frees mostly weren't in as advanced or attacking positions as their frees. Howis that fair? BTW what does Lenny have to do to get a free when he is being mugged at the stoppages? In conclusion I must say that was one of the worst umpiring performances I have seen in a long time and I agree with comment about the umpires laying money down on Port at good odds.

Can I ask why logically the umps were on their side?

[perfectionist]

The most egregious error was when the Port player ran through the mark on his way to the bench in the first quarter. Nothing 50/50 about that one. I think it was Sam Fisher who had the kick, on the wing, about 75 out, which would have made him 25 out. Not a certainty, but those easy frees should not be missed. I am sure Jimmy Stynes would have been laughing at that one.

[ozrulestrace]

And all the Foxtel commentators seem to say was "Gee, St Kilda was unlucky on that decision," whether it be one of the 5 50m penalties or the ones that were missed.

I lost count the number of times Lenny was ridden into the ground.. No wonder he looked frustrated.

[gringo]

The difference in interpretation of holding the ball and the ball spilling free in tackles was what I couldn't believe. Just completely different interpretations of the rule each time and none going our way.

[I love the saints!]

I agree that we were second to the ball for most of the first quarter which gave them a good start and we need to be harder at it and after quarter time it seemed like a fairly even contest. What I found most worrying was that across half-forward we broke down far too often and I felt that we missed Schnieder presenting there. When I say that the "umps were on their side" I should have said that it felt like the Port players knew that they might get "the rub of the green" if they ducked the head at the right time or threw themselves ahead in the tackle to draw an in the back call and they did get some soft calls, however it is only round one and the standard of play and umpiring will get much better. They just kept dropping the ball and only got called once on it.

[I love the saints!]

I agree gringo.

[perfectionist]

...I lost count the number of times Lenny was ridden into the ground...

Yep. He must have thought he was a horse in a Texas rodeo! They don't pay frees against the horse there either.

[Quixote]

There umpiring was terrible. Simple fact.

We got slaughtered by the umps but IMO still should have been good enough to win.

However we weren't.

Need sharper ball users through the middle.

[vacuous space]

Can I ask why logically the umps were on their side?

They needed something to talk about with Tony Jones on the flight home.

[MCG-Unit]

The umpiring was very inconsistent, clearly favouring Port - some howlers paid, and not paid - one of the worst umpiring performances I have ever seen....I don't think the count of 21-32 really reflects many decisions not paid as well
Not to mention 5 x 50m penalties to 0.

Port players seemed to have a free for all on Hayes, he must have wondered what he had to do to receive a free kick, he had 1 free.

[mr six o'clock]

I made the comment on a post last week , that all i want out of this game was an even free kick count .
Historically when we travel interstate , we get a rough deal from the umps , as interstate clubs do when they come to melbourne , however particularly in SA & WA we are often a long way behind in the free kick count .
In a match decided by less than a kick , a team getting a third more frees than the other , IS the difference between winning and losing !!!!

[Con Gorozidis]

just re-watched game
that polo reversal and 50 in the 2nd is pretty much the game. 2 goal decision
mark was fair. polo never touched the bloke.
joke

[bergsone]

32 - 20

Seemed even worse....take the out on the full which the include, the difference would be worse...

The milne free kick for having superior body strenghth was costly..... And proved the turning point IMO ...... But it is Milne, the umps are allowed to cheat because they hate him....btw what has Lenny done, he was crucified by them...

That was a terrible free but your post is surely from a five year old.

Cant we just talk about the game and leave the childish attack shyte out?

I mean FFS I thought this site was gonna be cleaned up from personal fwits who stalk other posters???

Iam worried now,agreeing with Teflon
spot on there,getting sick of this site,some people are childish in their comments

[stinger]

32 - 20

Seemed even worse....take the out on the full which the include, the difference would be worse...

The milne free kick for having superior body strenghth was costly..... And proved the turning point IMO ...... But it is Milne, the umps are allowed to cheat because they hate him....btw what has Lenny done, he was crucified by them...

That was a terrible free but your post is surely from a five year old.

Cant we just talk about the game and leave the childish attack shyte out?

I mean FFS I thought this site was gonna be cleaned up from personal fwits who stalk other posters???

i see some things around here never change.........

well,..maybe somethings...as i'm not going to be sucked in to that sort of sh!t again

[stinger]

ps...the umpiring was sh!t..right from the start when lenny nearly got decapitated for no result.....makes you wonder...those odds....

[Thinline]

Yep. Had a look at replay last night. Stinkers everywhere. All you can do is say next week you might get the flipside.

In the meantime what to do about clearance work. So s***.

[plugger66]

That was a terrible free but your post is surely from a five year old.

Cant we just talk about the game and leave the childish attack shyte out?

I mean FFS I thought this site was gonna be cleaned up from personal fwits who stalk other posters???

i see some things around here never change.........

well,..maybe somethings...as i'm not going to be sucked in to that sort of sh!t again

Amazing

[mr six o'clock]

When we play port in adelaide the stats clearly show us we're at disadvantage .
the free kick count is split 50/50 in melbourne and tasmanian games , yet in the 11 games we have played at football park it is 10 - 1 to port . the game where we actually won the free kick count was in 2002 . perhaps as we were very average back then and port was up near the top of the ladder , the umps were taking pity on us.

overall at football park we have had 179 frees for , 253 frees against . that averages out at 16 - 23
A clear bias
In melbourne or tassie its 215 frees for , 201 frees against . that averages ot at 18 -17 about what you'ld expect . the home side is always going to get a slight advantage , but an average of 7 more frees kicks is a massive advantage .
we had 3 guys on the weekend who had less than 7 possesions !!!!!

[kosifantutti]

Umpiring was terrible.
Started with a poor decision for holding the ball in the first minute against Geary 25m out from their goal. By the end of the quarter the exact same thing at the other end was no longer in the rule book.

The first Polo 50 was extremely harsh. He reached out a hand and touched the player on the shoulder. About a minute later Milera marked and a Port player put both arms around him as he started to run back and take his kick but that was OK. It was also OK for Cassisi after he was pinged for holding the ball to pull Cripps back by the shoulder as he was trying to get up and take his kick.

The video review as usual was inconclusive. But somehow Westhof went from grabbing for the ball at the end to grabbing it in the middle without juggling the ball.

The free against Milne was just appalling.

And BTW free kick count is irrelevant.

[mr six o'clock]

And BTW free kick count is irrelevant.[/quote]





not when its lop sided in a game decided by less than a goal

[gringo]

The inconsistency was mind boggling. Milne was pushing in the guys front back obviously? Polos 50 was mystifying, several of the inconsistent calls were flabbergasting. But apparently the umps did a great job.
? Why when they are s*** does the AFL come out and say they did a great job round one. I would rather them say look we got it wrong a bit we will tighten it up next week sorry. Not try to do spirit fingers in our face and tell us how great it was.

[Enrico_Misso]

When we play port in adelaide the stats clearly show us we're at disadvantage .
the free kick count is split 50/50 in melbourne and tasmanian games , yet in the 11 games we have played at football park it is 10 - 1 to port . the game where we actually won the free kick count was in 2002 . perhaps as we were very average back then and port was up near the top of the ladder , the umps were taking pity on us.

overall at football park we have had 179 frees for , 253 frees against . that averages out at 16 - 23
A clear bias
In melbourne or tassie its 215 frees for , 201 frees against . that averages ot at 18 -17 about what you'ld expect . the home side is always going to get a slight advantage , but an average of 7 more frees kicks is a massive advantage .
we had 3 guys on the weekend who had less than 7 possesions !!!!!

Great research.
Damning numbers!!!!!!

[kosifantutti]

And BTW free kick count is irrelevant.

not when its lop sided in a game decided by less than a goal

But it's not numbers of free kicks that matter, it's correct / incorrect decisions.

If there should be 20 free kicks to Port and 10 frees to St Kilda and that's what the umpires pay, then you can't complain.

If there should be 20 frees to us and 10 frees to them but they umpires actually pay 15 each, then you can complain.