the worst umpiring on the night was ...

[terry smith rules]

Prismall's shot on goal.

He took the mark with 1.15 on the clock.

He slowly walked back, he put the ball on the ground (no time off called!!)

He had his shot

goddard kicked in at .31 on the clock

44 seconds off the clock, obviously did not cost us the win, but simply poor umpiring

where was the call to the player etc... milney with the same kick would have been called play on after 10 seconds

maybe the umpire thought that would be the last kick so just let it go

[Sainterman]

Was watching the game on TV and could not believe time on was not called. 44 seconds at that stage was really important.

I have to say it was an awful performance from the umpires all day....and no it didn't cost the game, but yes, they were woeful, and both ways! A couple that stood out were the Dustin Fletcher goal that was touched, and about 5 decision Montagna should have been given, one absolutely glaring one in the last qtr.

Anyway, we move on to next week....

[Thinline]

Abysmal umpiring. But yes, we move on.

[Munga]

Yes that's unacceptable in any match. I'm all for giving a few extra seconds for a shot at goal, but blow time off until they start walking in for the shot.

[meher baba]

I didn't understand the 50 given against our player (BJ?) for laying a late tackle on the Bomber who had marked the ball. It was a tightly contested mark which looked as if it had been touched by our guy. The tackle seemed to be in progress before the whistle was blown.

Sensible umpiring would be to say "I know you thought it was touched, but it wasn't, now get off him quickly and stand the mark or I'll pay 50".

Instead, it becomes a gift goal to the Bombers even though I still reckon it wasn't a mark in the first place.

[Geezer]

umpires were terrible both ways all day.
missed a hell of a lot of holding the ball decisions that have been paid in previous weeks.
wasnt the cause of the loss tho.

was quite funny watching the replay and all the bombers fans who seem to expect every decison to go their way. especially on the city side wing.

[thejiggingsaint]

No earthly use in blaming umpiring decisions for a disappointing result/performance...wasted energy that should be conserved for getting behind the boys next round!!!!!

[Superboot]

I didn't understand the 50 given against our player (BJ?) for laying a late tackle on the Bomber who had marked the ball. It was a tightly contested mark which looked as if it had been touched by our guy. The tackle seemed to be in progress before the whistle was blown.

Sensible umpiring would be to say "I know you thought it was touched, but it wasn't, now get off him quickly and stand the mark or I'll pay 50".

Instead, it becomes a gift goal to the Bombers even though I still reckon it wasn't a mark in the first place.

As I recall it there was a very late whistle. Maybe a 3-sec delay. Long enough for the player to think that a mark hadn't been awarded.

[terry smith rules]

I didn't understand the 50 given against our player (BJ?) for laying a late tackle on the Bomber who had marked the ball. It was a tightly contested mark which looked as if it had been touched by our guy. The tackle seemed to be in progress before the whistle was blown.

Sensible umpiring would be to say "I know you thought it was touched, but it wasn't, now get off him quickly and stand the mark or I'll pay 50".

Instead, it becomes a gift goal to the Bombers even though I still reckon it wasn't a mark in the first place.

sammy fisher

[maz1685]

The one that annoyed me the most was Kosi going for goal close in on a really tight angle, had 2 or 3 bombers players right there next to him so he couldn't play on and run around, I didn't think they were allowed to do that.

[Red]

Umpires fault that we played like crap for 3 quarters.

I would hope that if the roles were reversed we would do the same .

[Pazza]

Umpiring was poor both ways.

Can someone here explain to me how Lonergan, playing in front of Blake, didn't get a free kick with Blake's arm on his head...and Blake got the free kick for holding?

At the game, there is no conclusive evidence the Fletcher goal was touched...it was just a case of once again, the grand old man of Bomberland being too smart by half by kicking over a flooded forward line (where was his opponent?)

[bozza1980]

Umpiring was poor both ways.

Can someone here explain to me how Lonergan, playing in front of Blake, didn't get a free kick with Blake's arm on his head...and Blake got the free kick for holding?

Because Lonergan grabbed Blake's arm, the contact with his head was caused by the illegal hold.

It's something players have been doing more and more (the holding not the high contact) this season and umpires are starting to penalise it.

[Milan Faletic]

Essendon got a goal from a ball that was clearly out of bounds.

I was perfectly in the line with the boundary and everyone around me saw it, including the Essendon supporters who were laughing.

Also Milney was held without the ball and then dumped. Milney and the Essendon player wrestled after that.

Didn't effect the result...or did it?

[Sainterman]

Essendon got a goal from a ball that was clearly out of bounds.

I was perfectly in the line with the boundary and everyone around me saw it, including the Essendon supporters who were laughing.

Also Milney was held without the ball and then dumped. Milney and the Essendon player wrestled after that.

Didn't effect the result...or did it?

Forgot about that one, there were just so many. That ball was that far out of bounds is was a joke. Cameras and commentators also picked up on it. I am sure someone will be along soon to tell us it was in though...

Imagine the controversy in a GF if the standard was as bad as it was yesterday!

[ace]

Was quite funny watching the replay and all the bombers fans who seem to expect every decison to go their way. especially on the city side wing.

One of the 3 born-to-rule clubs, Collingwood, Carlton , Essendon.
They seem to think that they should be allowed to umpire the match.
Sadly the umpires often assist them to do just that.
Gee the numb-nuts want a free, better give them one before they riot.

[plugger66]

Was quite funny watching the replay and all the bombers fans who seem to expect every decison to go their way. especially on the city side wing.

One of the 3 born-to-rule clubs, Collingwood, Carlton , Essendon.
They seem to think that they should be allowed to umpire the match.
Sadly the umpires often assist them to do just that.
Gee the numb-nuts want a free, better give them one before they riot.

You must have fun at the footy thinking that is what is actually happening.

[Nick_Dal_Santo = ChAmPiOn]

There was a few weird calls yesterday actually..

Kosi marks 10 metres out close to the boundary, since when are players allowed to stand 3 metres away from the guy kicking the ball?

Holding the ball against Milne, soon as he took possession of the ball he was dumped.

The funniest one of the night had to be the Lonergan vs Blake contest, where Lonergan was holding Blakes arm around his neck. Free kick paid to Blake, Essendon supporters all whinging, classic.

And that little spud Alywn Davey, my god he is the softest player in the AFL! did anyone see him throw his head back (In the 2nd/3rd quarter) in a perfect tackle (not sure who it was)? Goes to water at the slightest bit of contact that little turd.

[saint66au]

There was a few weird calls yesterday actually..

Kosi marks 10 metres out close to the boundary, since when are players allowed to stand 3 metres away from the guy kicking the ball?

Holding the ball against Milne, soon as he took possession of the ball he was dumped.

The funniest one of the night had to be the Lonergan vs Blake contest, where Lonergan was holding Blakes arm around his neck. Free kick paid to Blake, Essendon supporters all whinging, classic.

And that little spud Alywn Davey, my god he is the softest player in the AFL! did anyone see him throw his head back (In the 2nd/3rd quarter) in a perfect tackle (not sure who it was)? Goes to water at the slightest bit of contact that little turd.

Ahhh so YOU are allowed to whinge about the umpiring but when the Essendon fans do, its funny...I geddit

Look..having a grizzle about the officials is part and pacel of what makes footy fun..but...just sometimes you have to have the ability to say "whoa we got away with that one" or "hell we got the good end of the umpiring stick today" . Gives your criticism so much more credibility when it happens

[backit]

At the end of the day we played for less than a qtr and a half and could have pinched the game, the umpiring was poor from the start lots of decisions went unnoticed and unpaid.

It frustates the hell out of me having umpired for a few years at some reasonable leagues in Vic and interstate that the ones who are supposed to be the best of the best can continually be so inconsistent.

Should we have won, probably not, could we have won, yes, did the umpiring cost us the game, no, did we cost ourselves the game by not switching on till it was too late Yes.

[Thinline]

It IS possible to criticise the umpiring without blaming it for the loss. I'm not sure many are saying the umpiring alone cost us. I don't know why people get so uppity when umpiring is challenged. That performance last night by the officials was appalling. I also think it's extremely fair to say we didn't get the rub of the green, somewhat like that shocker over at Subiaco against the Weagles last year. Thankfully these things seem to work in a circular fashion. We shall have our turn again.

[crackers35]

I counted at least 5 essendon goals which were results of poor umpiring
plus the 2 goals that were touched on the line

I also would like to add that an essendon player was given a free very close to goal and when i watched the big screen for a certain replay there was none.

also when Zac Dawson punched the ball into an essendon player's hands the essendon player was payed the mark and he then kicked a goal. again i waited for a replay to confirm what i saw up the other end of the gorund and again there was no replay simply because they knew they were wrong.

Another point: every time an essendon player marked and had a shot for goal the umpire allowed them to move around for a better shot at goal.
YET when Nick Riewoldt marked just before the siren he was made to kick from a tighter angle.
IF the umpires were consistent Riewoldt would've kicked from about a 35 degree angle rather than 45 degrees. he then wouldve gone back and almost certainly kicked a goal.

[kosifantutti23]

Another point: every time an essendon player marked and had a shot for goal the umpire allowed them to move around for a better shot at goal.
YET when Nick Riewoldt marked just before the siren he was made to kick from a tighter angle.

The goal McPhee kicked. He marked about two metres in from the boundary and kicked from 10m inside the boundary with the full approval of the umpire.

[ace]

Umpiring standards at 20-year low: Warne


And he was only talking about cricket umpires

http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news ... -ennz.html

[saintspremiers]

The biggest issue is why we got the novice/b-grade umpires for what was one of the bigger matches of the round.

Perhaps the biggest games were Port vs Carlton and Brisbane vs Footscray, but ours surely was number 3 for the round?

You could argue that of the 24 head maggots (ie field umpires) each round, half at best are worthy of the job!