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Defending umpire inconsistency is the tough gig. I think we all understand the complexity, physical difficulties, the guile of players, the fast dynamic and that there are multiple umpires (mind you paid well, trained under same coach and drilled as a group) - however that does not explain a significantly different approach to interpretation of similar incidents between teams. Geelong as well as being a very strong physical side, skilled and supremely athletic have also mastered the art of cheating and instead of the AFL pulling them up it condones it (exhibit A: Selwood and hands in back Hawkins).
Come a grand final there can and have been game changing decisions entirely inconsistent with what has been par for the course during home and aways but justifiable under the "rules" which as we know a QC can drive a double B through without hurting pedestrians.
We appreciate more than others how teams in the top flight for a number of years with well known players get huge licence from the umpires where strugglers are punished mercilessly. Yes umpires are human and they take the paths of least resistance. For all the money ploughed into gender issues, charity work, concussion prevention et al for heavens sake AFL accept there is a conscious or unconscious bias against lower teams and try to train it/recruit it out of umps. I suspect they all travel home from Geelong, West Coast and Richmond games feeling happy with themselves after a home team win but it can be a false assessment of performance. We know umpires in our game cannot be perfect, as mentioned above good is the best we can hope, for but surely consistency is not too much to ask for. But apparently it is.
The oob deliberate for us was there, sure. But umpire Fisher at least was extremely lenient on Geelong. Possibly wanting to show that while the Saints paid for him to attend the Tour de France while rehabilitating he would show that he was not overly grateful. Mission accomplished, and Geelong will probably lobby for him to get their finals.
"The oob deliberate for us was there, sure. But umpire Fisher at least was extremely lenient on Geelong. Possibly wanting to show that while the Saints paid for him to attend the Tour de France while rehabilitating he would show that he was not overly grateful. Mission accomplished, and Geelong will probably lobby for him to get their finals."
I love the saints! wrote: ↑Sat 15 May 2021 1:26pm
Accurate. And Joffa, if you don't think the umps had an impact on the outcome of that game you need to watch it again.
93 posts from you and the majority of them directed toward poor umpiring or bias against the Saints, extremely Curly like in your input.
Not sure I’m the one who needs to rewatch the match.
Pretty sure we kick the very gettable shots we missed and we win.
Do you also (like Curly) believe the cheating umpires are sanctioned by the AFL or are you old school paranoid that “ they hate the Saints” or “used to barrack for xxxxx club”?
Proudly assuming the title of forum Oracle and serving as the inaugural Saintsational ‘weak as piss brigade’ President.
CURLY wrote: ↑Fri 14 May 2021 11:31pm
If you pick the ball up close to the line running directly at the line and are tackled it is not a free. You haven’t made a deliberate attempt to get the ball over. Umpires know this is the Rilke.
Hang tough Curly, despite the naysayers at least they read your stuff - to quote the Poet "Ah, how good it is to be among people who are reading"
Rainer Maria Rilke : Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge
the invisible and the non existent look very much alike
Joffa Burns wrote: ↑Sat 15 May 2021 10:28am
Personally I think the level on interpretation of rules makes the game borderline impossible for a human to adjudicate the game correctly and consistently.
The speed, the angles, the various interpretation required to make split second decisions. I don’t think the umpires cheat or are incompetent (like players some are better than others) I just think the AFL have made interpreting the rules so difficult that anyone who travels with an accuracy of 80% is probably killing it as an umpire.
I’d much rather see frees not paid than soft ones paid in any game.
Our bastardisation of the rules is the killer. You are quite correct in that it is nigh on impossible for humans to gain any consensus on a correct ruling when we allow interpretation.
Too many grey areas when rules should & could be black & white. It's a simple fix in my opinion but fans will rail against it as somehow the fabric of the game relies on these interpretations.
Let alone when 3 people are trying to interpret a single action
“Youth ages, immaturity is outgrown, ignorance can be educated, and drunkenness sobered, but stupid lasts forever.”
― Aristophanes
If you have a Bee in your Bonnet - I can assist you with that - but it WILL involve some smacking upside the head!
Oh Joff. There is no doubt that our missed shots really hurt us. And possibly cost us the win. But didn't you see anything wrong with the umpiring? And I did think they might have a bias, but now I just think they are incompetent.
Last edited by I love the saints! on Mon 17 May 2021 3:14am, edited 1 time in total.
I love the saints! wrote: ↑Sun 16 May 2021 9:34pm
Oh Joff. There is no doubt that our missed shots really hurt us. And possibly cost us the win. But didn't you see anything wrong with the umpiring? And I did think they might have a bias, but now I just think they are incompetent.
Bit of both mate. Biased, incompetent and throw in corrupt for good measure.
Where there is smoke there is fire.
Good little earner, betting on a sure thing.
Even the AFL sided with Ratts this time.
Fisher should never umpire Saints games IMHFO, that is