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Strawbs

Club Legend
Veteran
May 4, 2008
2,337
686
AFL Club
Richmond
Can anyone explain why, when Giansiracusa and Hayes had each other by the jumpers last night, the umpire was yelling, "Daniel! Daniel! Daniel!" and almost having a heart attack. It seems as though the umps are told to protect the players from themselves instead of allowing them to do whatever they like and suffer the consequences. It would sure save the umps a lot of stress.
 
Because if you don't give them some form of direction and let them do what they want instead, one will overstep the mark and then world war 3 starts and then people are saying "the umpires just lost control"...
 
But doesn't the ump simply blow the whistle when required, enforce the free kick and we move on? He won't lose control surely. It's the same thing when they almost beg the bloke on the mark to move back a metre instead of simply enforcing the rule after asking him once.
 

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You'll just lead to situations where too many free kicks are being paid, the umpires will be accused of being too technical and will be too noticed. Whilst frowned upon by fans, communication is actually encouraged by players and leads to better rapport between the two groups. Nothing has really changed over the years - only difference is that the microphones make it more noticeable nowadays.
 
Agree communication is good but I never get that "too many frees will be paid" line. If the rules are enforced, surely you end up having to pay fewer frees because players understand that they can't do certain things because a free will be paid. That communication can be over the top too - I crack up when the ump is banging on about the free and the bloke on the mark neither complained one little bit in the first place nor did he seek clarification. Is that for the home viewer's benefit?
 
Strawbs said:
Agree communication is good but I never get that "too many frees will be paid" line. If the rules are enforced, surely you end up having to pay fewer frees because players understand that they can't do certain things because a free will be paid. That communication can be over the top too - I crack up when the ump is banging on about the free and the bloke on the mark neither complained one little bit in the first place nor did he seek clarification. Is that for the home viewer's benefit?
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Agreed. But also if umpires aren't seen to be proactive as MIW is trying to say, then they get knocked off for not communicating! I say get rid of the mikes. We don't need to hear them.
 
I think you'll find that more frees will be paid because instead of warning players before they do something wrong, it will just happen and then a free get paid under your scenario. For example, if a player is having a set kick and an opposition player looks like he's about to encroach, I'll call out warning them not to go any closer and a potential 50m (25m in my comp) is avoided. Say nothing and let it happen and the 50m (25m) will just happen anyway. It means more frees paid by the umpire making them more noticeable and the players gets agro because they're giving away frees and 50m all of a sudden. Can guarantee that after 5-6 weeks of that approach, people will be complaining that umpires are being too over the top and should just let the game flow.

As for the chat, it's certainly not done for viewers benefit. As I mentioned earlier, it's always been like that just that people never noticed for all the years that umpires weren't miked. Because they now hear them, they think it's new. Truth be told, you'll probably find in days gone by (Peter Cameron etc) when people tend to think the umpiring was better, there was even more chat by umpires on the ground! I know that I say a fair bit on the ground which I wouldn't if I knew other people could hear me!!! :)
 
ManInWhite said:
I think you'll find that more frees will be paid because instead of warning players before they do something wrong, it will just happen and then a free get paid under your scenario. For example, if a player is having a set kick and an opposition player looks like he's about to encroach, I'll call out warning them not to go any closer and a potential 50m (25m in my comp) is avoided. Say nothing and let it happen and the 50m (25m) will just happen anyway. It means more frees paid by the umpire making them more noticeable and the players gets agro because they're giving away frees and 50m all of a sudden. Can guarantee that [B]after 5-6 weeks of that approach, people will be complaining that umpires are being too over the top and should just let the game flow.[/B]

As for the chat, it's certainly not done for viewers benefit. As I mentioned earlier, it's always been like that just that people never noticed for all the years that umpires weren't miked. Because they now hear them, they think it's new. Truth be told, you'll probably find in days gone by (Peter Cameron etc) when people tend to think the umpiring was better, there was even more chat by umpires on the ground! I know that I say a fair bit on the ground which I wouldn't if I knew other people could hear me!!! :)
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One warning, fair enough, but when they plead/scream with/at a player not to encroach and then still don't pay 50, it's very odd. A prime example this year was in a game where the ump stood alongside Dean Polo as an opponent was shooting from a tight angle. He told Polo, "Don't go past me." Polo kept stepping over, the ump kept yelling (and I mean 'heart attack material) 'DEAN! DEAN! DON'T GO PAST ME! DEAN! DEAN! DEAN! DON'T GO PAST ME!!!" He went past the ump who hadn't called 'play on' - NO 50!
In other news MIW - I didn't hear the AFL announce that the 'free and 50' for throwing an opponent to the ground after they had disposed of the ball had been removed. Do you know the story? It has most definitely disappeared. I have seen a number of occasions identical to the situation in Round 2 when I reckon I last saw it paid.
 
ManInWhite said:
I think you'll find that more frees will be paid because instead of warning players before they do something wrong, it will just happen and then a free get paid under your scenario. For example, if a player is having a set kick and an opposition player looks like he's about to encroach, I'll call out warning them not to go any closer and a potential 50m (25m in my comp) is avoided. Say nothing and let it happen and the 50m (25m) will just happen anyway. It means more frees paid by the umpire making them more noticeable and the players gets agro because they're giving away frees and 50m all of a sudden. Can guarantee that after 5-6 weeks of that approach, people will be complaining that umpires are being too over the top and should just let the game flow.

As for the chat, it's certainly not done for viewers benefit. As I mentioned earlier, it's always been like that just that people never noticed for all the years that umpires weren't miked. Because they now hear them, they think it's new. Truth be told, you'll probably find in days gone by (Peter Cameron etc) when people tend to think the umpiring was better, there was even more chat by umpires on the ground! I know that I say a fair bit on the ground which I wouldn't if I knew other people could hear me!!! :)
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So I assume you umpire either local U/10s or EFL
 
Yep - EFL for me. Borgy might have promoted me somewhat though. My limited time "up the road" saw me doing some AFL U/19's and VFA Reserves & U/19's and a decent smattering of country matches...
 

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I'd say keep the mics on the umpires, it is a really useful tool for explaining to younger umpires exactly how much you need to be talking out there on the field... It also allows what is said on the ground to be able to be used as evidence in tribunal cases.

If ManInWhite or myself were ever mic'ed up - you'd hear some interesting stuff ;)

I know that from both a players and other umpires point of view that MiW is one of the more popular umpires over the past 10 years to run around a football ground simply because he will have a chat with the players/other umpires. Also he's bloody good to have a beer with after the game :cool:
 
Ahh Blom-meister, you just want me to buy you another beer! :)
Benny actually had 2 of us miked at SFL one day in the radio match as an experiment to talk to us live during the match. Didn't quite work though. Plus, I had to watch my language and couldn't sledge anyone which threw my usual match routine right out the window.
 
ManInWhite said:
Ahh Blom-meister, you just want me to buy you another beer! :)
Benny actually had 2 of us miked at SFL one day in the radio match as an experiment to talk to us live during the match. Didn't quite work though. Plus, I had to watch my language and couldn't sledge anyone which threw my usual match routine right out the window.
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Gee language from you??? I can remember such a nice respectable young umpire from the ESCFA days. What has happened??? HAHAHA
 
I was corrupted by Ivan Walters, Ronny Balhorn and Neil Ashworth at a tender young age.

But yeah, don't you hate it when someone obviously knows you but you don't know who they are... :confused:
 
ManInWhite said:
Benny actually had 2 of us miked at SFL one day in the radio match as an experiment to talk to us live during the match. Didn't quite work though. Plus, I had to watch my language and couldn't sledge anyone which threw my usual match routine right out the window.
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I have been tempted when having the radio game - to wear the FM radio. Commentry goes "Was that a push in the back - Yes it was!" Then again knowing how accurate most of the commentators in local footy are, I thought better of it...

I'd reckon an extra couple of set of eyes in the stands switched into the Umpires radio channel could help eliminate decisions like the Hawkins ball hit the post type thing. I also remember a ball bounced and hit the behind post in the Richmond v West Coast game this year. The goalie, boundary and Field umpire had no idea of exactly what happened so the field umpire did the "correct" thing of bouncing the ball at the top of the square. With my perfect armchair view - I could have told them - boundary throw in and get on with the game. The reason for the bounce at the top of the square took some explaining to the fans around me...

I don't know what you reckon MIW - but I reckon I could be one of the best arm chair umpires going around ;):cool::cool::cool:
 
ManInWhite said:
Ahh Blom-meister, you just want me to buy you another beer! :)
Benny actually had 2 of us miked at SFL one day in the radio match as an experiment to talk to us live during the match. Didn't quite work though. Plus, I had to watch my language and couldn't sledge anyone which threw my usual match routine right out the window.
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Is this Benny Goodman you're talking about??

The AFL should head-hunt him for the director of umpiring position and give Geischen the flick.
 

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