"The worst decision in 30 years..."

[perfectionist]

As part of a broader criticism of the AFL for prematurely changing rules to suit the flavour of the week, Tim Lane in The Sunday Age writes:

"The week just gone also contained a haunting reminder of the AFL's preparedness to do as it pleases in its handling of the game's laws. A time-keeping error last Saturday was within a whisker of affecting the result of the game between Gold Coast and Fremantle. Had it done so, the AFL commission could have been expected to act as it did in 2006 when it overturned an outcome achieved on the field in a match between St Kilda and Fremantle because the full-time siren had not been heard on the field. I believe that 2006 decision was the worst, and most dangerous, I've observed in more than 30 years covering this sporting competition."

I agree. By ignoring the actual rules and changing the result of the game because some media people thought that it should, a new concept of "process" was introduced.

And on the issue of "sliding", I also agree with Tim Lane. One person's dangerous slide is another person's desperate attempt to be first for the ball, and there are a lot more of the latter than the former. I umpired over three hundred games. In all of them, I would call, when the ball was in contest, for the players to "go for the ball". The best games to umpire were those when that happened and I would have little to do. Being first for the ball is the number one requirement of our game, or it should be anyway.

[Enrico_Misso]

I still think we should have taken it to court.

We would have clearly won the case as the AFL clearly overturned their own rule which stated that the game is only over when the umpire acknowledges hearing the siren, not when it actually went, or should have gone.

Was a disgrace and remains a disgrace.

[gringo]

I still think we should have taken it to court.

We would have clearly won the case as the AFL clearly overturned their own rule which stated that the game is only over when the umpire acknowledges hearing the siren, not when it actually went, or should have gone.

Was a disgrace and remains a disgrace.

I'm not sure as they are the administrator and owner they are conflicted but a law unto themselves. It depends on their own rulebook as to whether or not they can make rulings that can be implemented after the fact.

[gringo]

The worst was when they allowed corrupt umpires to get away with vindictive umpiring and not being sanctioned in any way. Condoning inexcusable behaviour is to me unbelievable. No process and a complete eye shutting exercise by a crap administration. Whispers in the sky was for me the worst.

[plugger66]

At least people have let it go.

[saintspremiers]

At least people have let it go.

Why should we ever let it go plugger?

When GT was coach, we were subject to corrupt umpiring and tinkering of the draw by the AFL because Thomas spoke his mind and spoke out against the fat bastard.

[Life Long Saint]

At least people have let it go.

Why should we ever let it go plugger?

When GT was coach, we were subject to corrupt umpiring and tinkering of the draw by the AFL because Thomas spoke his mind and spoke out against the fat bastard.

Agreed...That decision, in the end, handed Fremantle a top 4 spot at our expense. We would have finished 3rd on percentage above Freo and faced Adelaide in the first final. It also would have seen Sydney finish out of the top 4 and, most likely, miss the GF spot.

This was not like an umpiring mistake which happen multiple times a game. This was the administration overturning their own rule to unfairly benefit one team over another. There was clearly an agenda at play.

The fact that we rolled over and accepted it was deplorable and it followed on from the whispers in the sky fiasco the year before. The animosity between the AFL CEO and our coach almost certainly led to this farce. We should have fought and fought and taken it to the courts to claim our two points and top 4 spot!

I will never, ever let this go.

[plugger66]

At least people have let it go.

Why should we ever let it go plugger?

When GT was coach, we were subject to corrupt umpiring and tinkering of the draw by the AFL because Thomas spoke his mind and spoke out against the fat bastard.

Of course we were. people still think we are now.

[bergholt]

This was not like an umpiring mistake which happen multiple times a game. This was the administration overturning their own rule to unfairly benefit one team over another. There was clearly an agenda at play.

"clearly an agenda"? bulls***.

look at it from a neutral perspective. the letter of the law led to an unjust outcome.

when the siren went freo were ahead - this generally makes them the winners. because the umpire didn't hear the siren and there was a strange rule on the books about the umpire hearing the siren, they got shafted. the afl fixed this anomaly after the game.

we were behind when the siren went. why do we deserve two points in that situation?

[Leo.J]

It cost us a double chance.

[bergholt]

It cost us a double chance.

yeah, losing the game cost us a double chance. if we'd beaten them fair and square then we might have won the flag that year. but we didn't beat them.

[Team Tommy]

I don't believe that our game is in safe hands with the current administration. Too many knee jerk reactions for my liking.

[kosifantutti]

This was not like an umpiring mistake which happen multiple times a game. This was the administration overturning their own rule to unfairly benefit one team over another. There was clearly an agenda at play.

"clearly an agenda"? bulls***.

look at it from a neutral perspective. the letter of the law led to an unjust outcome.

when the siren went freo were ahead - this generally makes them the winners. because the umpire didn't hear the siren and there was a strange rule on the books about the umpire hearing the siren, they got shafted. the afl fixed this anomaly after the game.

we were behind when the siren went. why do we deserve two points in that situation?

Scores were level when the umpires declared the game over. Why do Freo deserve four points?

It was a bad rule but it was the rule. The AFL set a dangerous precedent by changing the result of a game.

[Leo.J]

It cost us a double chance.

yeah, losing the game cost us a double chance. if we'd beaten them fair and square then we might have won the flag that year. but we didn't beat them.

That was the problem according to the rules of the game it was a draw...

Well the rules before that game anyway.

[bergholt]

Scores were level when the umpires declared the game over. Why do Freo deserve four points?

they were ahead when the siren went. any six year old would tell you that they deserve the win.

It was a bad rule but it was the rule. The AFL set a dangerous precedent by changing the result of a game.

i don't completely disagree with that, but i think they ended up with the correct result and hopefully fixed the rule. (i don't know what actually happened formally.)

[whiskers3614]

When I saw thread heading I thought it was about Ball/Lovett fiasco!

[Life Long Saint]

Scores were level when the umpires declared the game over. Why do Freo deserve four points?

they were ahead when the siren went. any six year old would tell you that they deserve the win.

It was a bad rule but it was the rule. The AFL set a dangerous precedent by changing the result of a game.

i don't completely disagree with that, but i think they ended up with the correct result and hopefully fixed the rule. (i don't know what actually happened formally.)

Scores can be counted after the siren has sounded...any six year old will tell you that too!

Also, try playing a game with a 6yo and change the rules half way through the game so they are disadvantaged...and see how that goes down!

They haven't fixed the rule, BTW...The game is only over when the umpire acknowledges the siren...What they have done, though is put an earpiece into the umpires ear so that they hear the siren...As with any technology, it is not fail-proof. The technology could fail and the umpires fail to hear the siren.

I don't know whether you're too young to remember the 1980 pre-season Grand Final when North Melbourne scored a goal at least 30 seconds after the siren went. The TV coverage didn't pick it up but the crowd and some of the players did...The goal that North scored won them the game. The VFL didn't intervene then as the rule is set. And that is what should have happened in 2006.

[Bernard Shakey]

I don't know whether you're too young to remember the 1980 pre-season Grand Final when North Melbourne scored a goal at least 30 seconds after the siren went. The TV coverage didn't pick it up but the crowd and some of the players did...The goal that North scored won them the game. The VFL didn't intervene then as the rule is set. And that is what should have happened in 2006.

That was fair, Collingwood lost.

[bergholt]

Also, try playing a game with a 6yo and change the rules half way through the game so they are disadvantaged...and see how that goes down!

that's only an argument if anyone knows the rule exists! i'm too young to remember 1980, so i had no idea the rule was "when the umpire hears the siren". 99% of the patrons and all of the st kilda and freo players were in the same boat, i reckon. most people would have just expected that the game ends when the siren goes and whoever's ahead at that point wins.

it's not like the saints were relying on that rule. if it had been allowed then we would have got lucky, and it would have been patently unfair to freo. the fact that the rule is kinda wrong doesn't make it any less unfair to them.

[dragit]

Maybe they could have changed the anti-doping laws retrospectively too…

Paul Chapmans oxygen spun blood is seen as cheating, maybe they could revoke his Norm Smith and more importantly the Premiership?

Sure he didn't break the rules at the time, but really they won the match using a treatment banned by WADA and the AFL a week later… surely hindsight would judge that incident, plus the poster as an unfair advantage and award us the rightful best team on the day/year?

I certainly will never get over that.