Riewoldt Favoured by Umps??? You're kidding me.

[Art Corvelay]

All those bemoaning how "soft" the game is becoming - St Kilda supporters included - should be slamming rubbish free kicks like this. Otherwise you are in essence supporting the very thing you are criticizing.

This.

And saying Nick was taken out cowardly is even more ridiculous. Better watch out for those killer bumps, they'll kill someone one days

 

[Plugger35]

Riewoldt is one of the fairest players in the competition and rarely gives away a blatant free kick because he doesn't have the intention hence his low frees against stats. The frees he gives away are usually clumsy.

Others have already stated that he isn't a body contact player, he's a leading forward that can jump higher than his opponents and is generally quicker hence his frees for stats. Oppossition players continually intend to hit or infringe Riewoldt illegally.

The umpires have clearly stated that they won't tolerate the games stars being treated unfairly off the ball. Brian Lake knocked Riewoldt over a number of times before a free was even paid. I'm sure that he would have been warned but continued to do so anyway. Who's to blame? Not the umpires or Riewoldt, so you blokes do the math.

Give the guy a break, he's one of the fairest players getting around that always plays the ball and not the opponent like Brian Lake.

Couldn't have said it much better.

People keep on whinging about what a soft free kick it was and in isolation it probably was. However Lake had been bumping and knocking Riewoldt over all night. He was obviously trying to target Riewoldt at every opportunity and probably overdid it to the point when the umpires decided they had to step in. They then warned him if he kept doing it he would give away a free.

So it was really Lake's own fault for being stupid and bumping him again. He gave Riewoldt the opportunity to milk it for a free kick and the umpires the opportunity to enforce what they had threatened to do. There was no need for him to do what he did and he cost his team a goal.

 

[Plugger35]

This.

And saying Nick was taken out cowardly is even more ridiculous. Better watch out for those killer bumps, they'll kill someone one days

It wasn't just one bump though, it happened to Riewoldt continually. The umpires are there for a reason. They can't just stand there and do nothing while a player gets constantly targetted. Once or twice is probably acceptable but there comes a point where the umpires have to step in, otherwise people like Lake will just keep doing it.

Why should Riewoldt or anyone else have to put up with getting constantly bumped and jostled off the ball for no reason?

 

[Art Corvelay]

Why should Riewoldt or anyone else have to put up with getting constantly bumped and jostled off the ball for no reason?

Because it's a contact support? If bumping isn't allowed, what about scragging by taggers? What about sledging? Should that be banned as well? Why should a player cop abuse on the footy field?

 

[Simon_Nesbit]

Reiwoldt isn't "favoured" by the umps, but he is the "least discriminated" against of all the key-forwards.

I've never had the feeling Reiwoldt has been persecuted by the umpires - certainly that's a feeling you get watching how Hall, Fevola, and (especially) Franklin are umpired. Brown a little less so, in terms of what's called against him, but he certainly doesn't get any 'help' from them.

 

[Plugger35]

Because it's a contact support? If bumping isn't allowed, what about scragging by taggers? What about sledging? Should that be banned as well? Why should a player cop abuse on the footy field?

A certain amount of that stuff is acceptable but it shouldn't be allowed to get out of hand. I'm sure the umpires are told to ignore most of that stuff but if it becomes excessive then it has to be penalised.

Lake simply went too far with his bumping of Riewoldt off the ball and was penalised for it. Don't see anything wrong with it myself, the umpires have to draw the line somewhere. If you're stupid enough to then step over it, like Lake, you have to wear the consequences.

 

[Stig O'Hara]

Not a chance.

80 goals on one leg, playing true Centre Half Forward,
these are blokes you dream about.

The bloke is a star.

 

[bedford]

He is a star but he is Bambi

 

[Joffaboy]

He is a star but he is Bambi

shows your intellect.

Too bad you think tough is Hall punching blokes when they aren't looking

 

[slangman]

They play different styles so I'm not sure you can compare them. Just because they're all playing the same position doesn't mean they're playing the same game.

Riewoldt very rarely initiates contact with his opponent in a one-on-one. Almost invariably he leads his opponent to the ball and puts his arms up to mark it. When caught underneath a high ball, if there is grappling, he's usually the first to let go and leap for the ball. Watch him play and you'll see this.

Given this style, he's far more likely to get frees. Hall, especially, has a completely contrasting style of initiating contact in every situation. Brown and Mooney do this a fair bit as well. Franklin is unpredictable but just as likely to get caught in a one-on-one with the ball coming down on his head as on a good lead. Fev tends to get the ball on a lead, but when caught in a one-on-one he's pretty poor, so he gives away frees as well.

It's about their style. Watch the game carefully and you'll see that.

Style has absolutely nothing to do with it.

Buddy gets punched in the mouth, tooth flies out 25m out from goal and it's called play on.

Whatever percentage of free kicks to infringments Reiwoldt recieves, it is considerably higher than any other big forward....FACT!!!!!!

An infringment is an infringment regardless of "style".

 

[Stig O'Hara]

Style has absolutely nothing to do with it.

Buddy gets punched in the mouth, tooth flies out 25m out from goal and it's called play on.

Whatever percentage of free kicks to infringments Reiwoldt recieves, it is considerably higher than any other big forward....FACT!!!!!!

An infringment is an infringment regardless of "style".

Sorry champ, this bloke runs face first into packs, every week,
that is his trait, wobbly on the kicks, but he gets better.

Don't doubt him, not one bit, every bit the footballer.
As good as their is playing this wonderful game at the moment.

 

[Dogs till i die]

Ya'll realise that callan was given a free against mcqualter for EXACTLY the same thing, right?

Pity that free was paid in the wrong spot, 30 metres on the dogs defensive side of the throw in where the ball was. McBurney, at the throw in, knew it was wrong, went to tell McInerney who paid the free but hesitated and allowed Callan to kick at a disadvantaged spot. Wrong.