Collingwood’s win over Adelaide was marred by umpiring controversies that have been described as “woeful,” “totally unacceptable,” and “alarmingly terrible.” The missed calls by umpires, which included front-on contact on Nathan Murphy and a drag-down high tackle on Ash Johnson, came to a head in the fourth quarter as the Pies charged from a 16-point three-quarter time deficit to level scores with less than two minutes remaining. The umpires’ decision-making was criticized by commentators, who said the officials appeared to “freeze up” in the final minutes of the game. Gerard Whateley, a commentator, warned that if Collingwood had lost the game, “the world would be burning” the next morning due to the extent of the missed calls.
The umpiring was so controversial that it overshadowed the Pies’ latest comeback victory, beating Adelaide 8/11/59 to 7/16/58 in a one-point thriller to move to the top of the AFL ladder. The game finished with a 28-18 free kick count in the Crows’ favour, adding to the frustration of the Pies and their fans.
However, commentators were quick to point out that the victory was not entirely due to Collingwood’s performance, but rather Adelaide’s poor goalkicking. The Crows missed 15 behinds, which many pundits believe cost them the match. “Sorry Crows fans, that game should have been done to bits. You gave them a sniff and they took it,” said Hawthorn legend Jason Dunstall on Fox Footy.
Collingwood coach Craig McRae was relatively calm in his assessment of the umpires, saying that although mistakes were made, they had to move on. McRae lost his mind, however, when Murphy was taken out in a marking contest with Darcy Fogarty, and no free kick was awarded. Murphy was left dazed and bleeding from the nose, but to the Pies’ disbelief, no action was taken. Jordan De Goey was also penalized for deliberate out-of-bounds when the play went dangerously close to Murphy and the club’s medical staff as they left the field.
In the dying minutes, Ash Johnson was also unlucky not to be awarded a free kick in the goal square after he was taken high. This led to angry football commentators demanding an explanation. Grant Thomas said the umpiring was “officially a joke” and described some of the calls as “very suspicious.” Garry Lyon, in commentary for Fox Footy, also couldn’t believe no free kick was awarded to Murphy.
#AFLCrowsPies was possibly the worse Umpired game I can remember in my time running these accounts.
Will have more to say in coming days
Well done to Adelaide and Collingwood for a great game when we let it down.
— Has the umpire made A Bad decision? (@hasumpstuffedup) April 30, 2023
The umpiring controversies in the game are not an isolated incident. Only a few days before the game, Adelaide Crows icon Graham Cornes declared that there was a “Victorian bias” that was resulting in umpires giving the Crows and Port Adelaide a bad run. This is not the first time umpires have come under fire for their decision-making, and the issue of biased umpiring remains a contentious one.
It is understandable that umpires make mistakes, but it is critical that their mistakes do not unfairly impact the outcome of the game. When games are decided by one or two points, every decision becomes critical, and any mistake can have a significant impact. The umpires are human, and they will make errors, but there needs to be a better system in place to ensure that mistakes do not become the norm. The current system of having umpires make split-second decisions and then being held accountable for their decisions is not a sustainable one.
The AFL needs to explore ways to improve the umpiring system, including better training and support for umpires, the use of technology such as VAR in soccer, or the introduction of a challenge system, which would allow teams to challenge umpiring decisions. Any system that improves the accuracy of umpiring decisions and reduces the impact of errors on the outcome of the game would be a positive step forward.
That’s a justice win.
Super by Pies, bizarre by umps.— Mark Stevens (@StevoMedia) April 30, 2023
The umpiring controversy that marred Collingwood’s win over Adelaide has sparked outrage among football commentators, pundits and fans. The missed calls by the umpires have been heavily criticised, with many calling for an investigation into the umpiring standards. The controversy has also reignited the debate about a “Victorian bias” that some believe is resulting in umpires giving Adelaide and Port Adelaide a bad run. Umpires are critical to the game of Australian Rules Football, and their role is essential in ensuring that the game is played fairly and with integrity. It is up to the AFL to ensure that the umpiring system is fair and transparent.