Opinion Non-Crows AFL 4: The Centre Cannot Hold

[Slippery Pete]

Statistically there is a temperature difference between weekends and weekdays, in many cities, due to a reduction in air pollution on the weekends. I just can't remember whether the temperature goes up or down. Thursday is not a weekend, so it shouldn't be any different to Friday night - but it should be slightly different to Saturday or Sunday nights.

When I say slightly, the difference is less than a degree, and only really measurable when averaged over a long period of time.

There was a notable change in temperature/weather in the US in the days following 9/11, due to the airline traffic being shut down. The lack of contrails created clearer skies, which resulted in statistically significant weather changes.

OK... this is definitely the pedant in me showing through.

 

[StickerMan]

That’s ridiculous

Yep, pretty much.

There is quite often scenarios where an umpire is not sure on the rules for the grade he/she is umpiring (e.g. soccering the ball, modified tackling etc) and therefore clarification is required. Not anymore!

Most times umpires are looking at the rules in the car before they run out on to the field!

We are aiming to enforce exclusion zones around our coaches area so that we aren't penalised by some over zealous parents making comments about the umpiring. I will need to bite my tongue quite a bit as well!

 

[Slippery Pete]

Yep, pretty much.

There is quite often scenarios where an umpire is not sure on the rules for the grade he/she is umpiring (e.g. soccering the ball, modified tackling etc) and therefore clarification is required. Not anymore!

Most times umpires are looking at the rules in the car before they run out on to the field!

We are aiming to enforce exclusion zones around our coaches area so that we aren't penalised by some over zealous parents making comments about the umpiring. I will need to bite my tongue quite a bit as well!

I just have to go on with this, and yeah I know it’s a hobby horse… but it illustrates a broader epidemic in general society (in before Gen Xer Stones Throw tells me to start my own podcast. Who’s to say I haven’t?)

This epidemic is known as “the expert class.“

Closely related to the “experts” is the “managerial class.” (Thanks Brad Scott)

These are all very serious people, of course. “Have you seen this study, have you seen this chart, look at this modelling! If we wave our arms at umpires, it results in a 76.7% reduction in the participation of umpires at junior levels! Arm waving has been proven to result in a 45.6% increase in mental health issues in sports officials!”

People who dare to challenge the “experts” are, of course, the great unwashed. The uneducated. They’re just yobbos and hicks who want umpires (and grannies) to die in the streets, obviously.

The truth of the matter is that a ban on waving your arms at the umpire comes from the same ”expert” class of the last two years — you know, the ones who banned singing, gave us “vertical consumption” and “15 days to slow the spread.”

It is the SAME syndrome. And it is everywhere.

The thing I can’t believe is how anybody is surprised this is where we’ve landed.

 

[brucetiki]

Tex should publically challenge him by demanding a source. None will be offered and at that time Tex can expose him as troll.

Furthermore, we could surely get lot's (hundreds) of AFC fans to email McClure at his workplace and also demand a source. When he stops replying, escalate this to his manager.

He can be held accountable...

Except management just kicked up an almighty stink when he lost his Quill award. They'll back him up even if he has no sources

 

[Scorpus]

Except management just kicked up an almighty stink when he lost his Quill award. They'll back him up even if he has no sources

And also a journalist would never reveal a source. May as well retire from the industry if you do

 

[CrowsB4hoes]

Tex should publically challenge him by demanding a source. None will be offered and at that time Tex can expose him as troll.

Furthermore, we could surely get lot's (hundreds) of AFC fans to email McClure at his workplace and also demand a source. When he stops replying, escalate this to his manager.

He can be held accountable...

He doesn't have to go that hard. Just needs to allude to Sam making up stories and that he has form on it.

 

[skam85]

I hope that we can still chant "Umpire's a w***er" from the stands

 

[footy4ever]

All they need now is one of their 'star' young players to leave - probably Georgiades.

I fully expect them to find some form at some point and pull themselves up into that 10th-12th middle-ladder dead-zone which doesn't feel good as a supporter and doesn't give great draft picks. Hopefully just high enough to save Ken for another year.

If they beat and undermanned, injured, Covid-effected Eagles, it'll be "see? I told you we'd turn it around"

Premiership contender reinstated.

Port - premiership contender with that list. Makes me laugh every time.

 

[chazwazza]

Port under Koch seems to have a "spend money to make money" approach, but the make money part never arrives.

The move to Adelaide Oval, Port "overtake" us as the number one team in town... Nobody compared the financials and saw that their marketing spend was a million dollars higher than ours or something like 3x from memory. It looked good, but the make money phase never came because then they dropped off for a few years, making finals just once out of 5.

Then there was China, spend a heap of money getting that off the ground, I'm not sure there was ever going to be a make money phase, and COVID didn't help, but that's all money lost now, what a shock, they didn't convert 1 percent of 1 percent of the Chinese population into members and their big star Chinese draftee Chen Shaoliang isn't a national hero back home.

Now they are clearly in a save money because as an assited club the AFL is making them phase, their coaching panel is Ken, Bassett, Montgomery and Chad Cornes, thats it.

 

[relapse]

View attachment 1379650

I miss the days when Port were "selling out" stadiums in China

 

[Slippery Pete]

Is that Steven Marshmellow?

 

[ams4crows]

Anne Hatchard staying with the Crows whilst amazing news for us is Port's first AFLW loss

Also Adelaide's next generation girls academy beat Ports in an U16 showdown over the weekend too.

 

[spenze]

Think the best result for the weekends WC V Power Franchise game is that Port win and on the back of it, West Coast sack Simpson...Power fans will be ****ing livid

 

[cm_perfect]

I hope that we can still chant "Umpire's a w***er" from the stands

Might have to change it to “banker” to negate a gen x red coat army response (now blue)

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Anne Hatchard staying with the Crows whilst amazing news for us is Port's first AFLW loss

Also Adelaide's next generation girls academy beat Ports in an U16 showdown over the weekend too.

Imagine if Phillips doesn't go to Port... though given her heritage she should & I wouldn't blame her.

Hatchard staying is huge.

 

[Gtowncrow]

Think the best result for the weekends WC V Power Franchise game is that Port win and on the back of it, West Coast sack Simpson...Power fans will be ******* livid

Very good.
Cryptic...but good

 

[Gtowncrow]

He doesn't have to go that hard. Just needs to allude to Sam making up stories and that he has form on it.

You're probably right. Part of me though, loves the Texan in full attack mode.

 

[DaKids]

Yep, pretty much.

There is quite often scenarios where an umpire is not sure on the rules for the grade he/she is umpiring (e.g. soccering the ball, modified tackling etc) and therefore clarification is required. Not anymore!

Most times umpires are looking at the rules in the car before they run out on to the field!

We are aiming to enforce exclusion zones around our coaches area so that we aren't penalised by some over zealous parents making comments about the umpiring. I will need to bite my tongue quite a bit as well!

I know it’s not the Best But I suppose you have to ask why they felt the need to bring in that rule? Little doubt that incidents have given rise to it. Over zealous parents as you describe them are the main problem. If you are seeing a need to have exclusion zones then I would respectfully suggest the problem is with parents.

With the rise and rise of girls footy the demand for umpires has virtually doubled. I’d be more worried that SANFL feel the need to protect Young kids wanting to fill the need, than worrying about how good u8 decision making is.

 

[Crow till I die]

Think the best result for the weekends WC V Power Franchise game is that Port win and on the back of it, West Coast sack Simpson and appoint Nathan Buckley...Power fans will be ******* livid

FTFY

Imo port no chance of getting Clarkson so Bucks would be the next best thing for them

 

[StickerMan]

I know it’s not the Best But I suppose you have to ask why they felt the need to bring in that rule? Little doubt that incidents have given rise to it. Over zealous parents as you describe them are the main problem. If you are seeing a need to have exclusion zones then I would respectfully suggest the problem is with parents.

With the rise and rise of girls footy the demand for umpires has virtually doubled. I’d be more worried that SANFL feel the need to protect Young kids wanting to fill the need, than worrying about how good u8 decision making is.

The no communication system was brought in due to the fact that some coaches were using it as a tactic to influence the umpire into making decisions favouring their team and a source of intimidation. I agree, it is not a good point, but there are legitimate reasons for clarifying things mid-match which that has now been removed and could cause more flare ups on the sidelines.

Re the parents being the source of issues, similar to the AFL dissent rule, the rules of the game are so subjective and open to interpretation there is always going to be varied levels of frustration at certain decisions. I am not talking about frothing at the mouth vitriol, more a 'How did he get rid of it?!' comment that will most likely cause an over-officiating umpire to pay a free kick against the team that he perceived that this comment came from.

Next thing they will do, is remove the ability for the crowd to yell out 'Baaaalllll!!'

I agree we need to stamp out dissent of umpiring decisions, but being pissed off about umpiring decisions is part of the game!

 

[TubbsFarquhar]

I miss the days when Port were "selling out" stadiums in China
View attachment 1379660

I remember Barrett going on about how the AFL were making up crowd numbers. 12K apparently.

 

[jackster83]

Yep, pretty much.

There is quite often scenarios where an umpire is not sure on the rules for the grade he/she is umpiring (e.g. soccering the ball, modified tackling etc) and therefore clarification is required. Not anymore!

Most times umpires are looking at the rules in the car before they run out on to the field!

We are aiming to enforce exclusion zones around our coaches area so that we aren't penalised by some over zealous parents making comments about the umpiring. I will need to bite my tongue quite a bit as well!

It's an absolute mess, with the blame falling almost entirely on the shoulders of the AFL, SANFL and grassroots leagues that seem to think Auskick numbers are the only thing that matters as far as junior development goes.

The lack of training for the umpires is a disgrace.

The other week I was watching my local team and the boundary umpire (a young lad, would have been 15 or 16) made a decision, only to change his mind and walk off crying after the other team's players abused him.

The young lad should have been more aware of the last touch out of bounds rule, while the field umpire should have penalised the abusive players.

That's the kind of shit that goes on all the time but nothing gets done about it.

 

[StickerMan]

It's an absolute mess, with the blame falling almost entirely on the shoulders of the AFL, SANFL and grassroots leagues that seem to think Auskick numbers are the only thing that matters as far as junior development goes.

The lack of training for the umpires is a disgrace.

The other week I was watching my local team and the boundary umpire (a young lad, would have been 15 or 16) made a decision, only to change his mind and walk off crying after the other team's players abused him.

The young lad should have been more aware of the last touch out of bounds rule, while the field umpire should have penalised the abusive players.

That's the kind of shit that goes on all the time but nothing gets done about it.

All umpire training is done online for SANFL Juniors. COVID had something to do with that, however no meaningful resources are being used to improve the standard of umpiring.

To their benefit, the SANFL will be implementing an umpiring feedback mechanism this year to encourage Clubs to provide constructive feedback to the SANFL about the officiating umpires. They particularly want to hear if the umpire did a good job. Could open a Pandora's box and more work for an already under-resourced SANFL Juniors department.

However, if the AFL/SANFL don't want to invest in training umpires to improve the standard then there will continue to be issues.

Eddie had a point last night about making umpiring an attractive vocation to aspire to by offering big coin as an AFL umpire.

 

[spenze]

FTFY

Imo port no chance of getting Clarkson so Bucks would be the next best thing for them

Clarko with Bucks as senior assistant and both stating they took a huge pay cut just to be able to work together

 

[DJ75]

I remember Barrett going on about how the AFL were making up crowd numbers. 12K apparently.

They meant that they gave out 12 thousand tickets. Down at the local wet market. The locals just got confused by the writing and thought it was toilet paper.