FACT - Newstead pay thier players (which would be well below most clubs as they don't believe in overpaying players) on time, and on a weekly basis
FACT - Newstead played very poorly against Harcourt, and being that they are not a bad side you can't afford to do so.
What happened to Talbot on the weekend, are they in a bit of trouble with a tough last couple of games?? Maldon too seem to have done their dash after loosing and being 2 games outside the 5 would be no chance for finals after bursting out of the blocks early in the season...
Very interesting to see the fight for third spot really hot up, and it probably won't be decided untill the final round of the season - Brook can't loose to any of Maldon, Rovers or Avoca to have any chance and Newstead have to beat Royal Park, Talbot and the in-form Dunolly to keep it...
Big last three rounds!!!!!!
Talbot are very disappointed with the weekends results and it makes it very very tough for us to play finals now, it was definately a game we expected to win. We were missing a couple of key players, didnt play great and we let rovers run and carry the football too often.We were sloppy with the ball in hands and too often let Hedger drop back in the hole and kicked it to him.
I know this next part i write is going to seem like an excuse but i would have to say the standard of umpiring was appauling at times and Gus who did the goals for Rovers needs to have a talking too, the game was in the balance with 3 points in it and Rovers clearly kicked a behind , too which Gus signalled a goal and gave them breathing space, he did not even make an effort to move from the centre of the goals , he clearly just stood there and moved his head slightly...this also occured in the first quarter when the ball missed the goals by two feet and was awarded a goal.. the umpires did not over rule on both occassions.
As for the field umpiring, they can complain as much as they want about us and our supports but when they say you went the knuckle after the game and there was not one fight or indiscretion all game it is clearly a biased view of the occassion. Umpires in our league get too emotional involved in the game and need to be able to take a step back and not see it is a personal attack. PLayers get frustrated when umpires over umpire the game, why can they just not let us play footy.
The umpires in question said before the game, feel free to ask a question as to why the free kick was paid, but when you did (without swearing by the way) , bang a 50!!.......People can say if ur first to the footy ofcourse you will get the free kicks, which is true, but this was just so much more than that, Rovers more than doubled our free kicks which is always going to help in a game of football, if the umpires had legitimate excuses or reasoning for the free kicks fine, but they cannot be aloud to just spin off rubbish and be pleased with the result they have caused.
Something that i have noticed over the years is that some umpires seem to hold a vendetta against a club, and it would appear that these two have a strong grudge against our football club. In recent weeks or over the last few years we have experienced several new umpires from the Ballarat league and i can say that we have never had any issues with these umpires or new incoming umpires from another league, it makes a man wonder...We have new players to the club this year, who simply say " what did you do to these blokes previously to piss them off, this is ridiculous"....enough said.
The sooner the umpires are held accountable for their actions the better i say. It says alot about there credibility when they wont even come into the clubrooms after the game including Gus.
I know ppl will disagree with this comment and i expect a bit of backlash, but enough is enough...This post is in no way having a crack at the Rovers Football Netball club, just the men that officated the game.