AFL Autopsy RND 16: Loss To The Pussies

[bombre-boy]

Our games pan out the same way most weeks, and have done so for many years.
Dominate the first half, but cannot take advantage of it due to our horrible skills, which keeps the other team in the game.
Have a crap 3rd quarter and either give up or have to fight it out in the last and eek out a small win.

For teams like Essendon that are mentally weak it seems any crap umpiring decisions (and there were alot on Saturday night) just derails us so badly.
Until we find guys who can kick and handball properly and dont commit horrendous skill errors and are not mental pigmy's we will be stuck in this funk for many years to come.
Add in some silly selections, a game plan that is currently a work in progress, it can all goes **** up when we get pressured.
All teams have to do is pressure us and they know we will turn the ball over and not be able to defend.
Yes we have made some progress, but the same stupid issues continue to plague us and have done for years.

 

[JayJ20]

and, let's not forget, this doesn't include the other side of the ledger. That is, the OOB deliberate not paid to Geelong; the numerous holding the balls not paid against Geelong, during the same period. Just blatant inconsistency at best.

I get annoyed with umpires but I always know deep down it's a tough gig, they're doing their best, and conspiracies are for morons.

But Saturday night was the most egregious displayed of one-sided, or biased, umpiring I've ever seen. I don't know why or how, but it was so outrageous that I can't believe it was just "one of those things", or just the way the cards fell. It was utterly putrid.

Now, people can say it wasn't the reason we lost, and I'm damn glad that's the approach Scott took, publicly at least. But here's the thing: AFL footy in 2024 more than any other time is about momentum. And the umpires single-handedly took that momentum and gave it to Geelong on a silver platter. It killed the game. We had it for most of the first half, and it was on us that we didn't make the most of it, but it was ****ing devastated in the third by the umpires. Should our boys have been able to get past it? Yeah sure, I guess. But that's the thing. This was so egregious that it almost seems to me to be unreasonable to expect it. I know I was gobsmacked, as were all of you. It's singularly telling that even the commentators were talking about it, and they almost never bother highlighting poor or inconsistent umpiring.

There's no other conclusion to draw other than the umpiring was an utter disgrace and I hope I never see anything like it again. It ruined the game entirely. I don't blame the players for dropping their heads, frankly, as bad as that sounds. It was truly awful and genuinely biased for whatever reason. I turned off in protest 5m into the last quarter and played Playstation because life's too short for that shit

I cannot remember the last time I was genuinely pissed off at umpiring. The whole 3rd quarter was utter trash and it came without warning. The first half wasn't badly umpired at all and I even think we had the better of some 50-50 calls but at HT they just decided to turn the game around for some reason. Then the last quarter it went back to how it was in the first half. I don't know what inspired that 3rd quarter rubbish but it really needs to be looked into.

I was genuinely shocked at how deliberately one-sided that 3rd quarter was. Not even the 4th quarter of the 2019 ANZAC day game was this bad. Outrageous.

 

[ant555]

Umpires aside you can not give up 11.7 on turnover against anyone let alone a side in a similar area of the ladder and expect to win games.

 

[JayJ20]

Obviously massacred by the umpires in the 3rd quarter but that was still only a 3-4 goal deficit. No excuse for our poor conversion of dominance in the second quarter or to just give up in the 4th

Exactly this. 21 points is not that far behind so the trash 4th quarter completely took away all rights to complain about the umpiring. If we cannot fight back through adversity in a H&A game then I have zero trust that we can win a final. Collingwood were 27 points down in the 4th quarter and took the lead late against Gold Coast. Sydney were 19 points down to Fremantle in the 4th and were a kick from winning.

If we fought back like those teams, then we could talk about the umpiring. But that 4th quarter completely ruined it. We all knew it was done at 3QT which shows how far this team is from contending.

 

[Chucks]

That 3rd quarter was some of the most corrupt umpiring I've ever witnessed. By far the worst umpired game I've seen since Anzac Day 2019.

I'll be honest, I can whinge and sook about the umpires during games quite often.. but as soon as the final siren goes, I usually can move on extremely quickly. But this one's stuck with me and just leaves a shocking taste in my mouth.

At the risk at sounding like a huge nuffie - surely I'm not the only one who thinks that this is just ridiculous. Some of the umpiring we have copped over the last 5-10 years has been baffling. And honestly, sometimes it has got me thinking...

It's no secret that we're one of (if not THE) most hated club in the land, and that's obviously become even more amplified since the saga. I seriously think it's something that could be creeping into the psych of individual umpires, even if its just on a sub-conscious scale. At the end of the day, they're just big footy fans/nuffs like the rest of us, and I genuinely think any pre-conceived disdain could easily play a role from time to time.

So I'm either one massive conspiracy nuffie, or it was just one of the most awful displays of umpiring of all time.. but it was just so blatantly one-sided that it's almost hard to question if it was even simply bad umpiring.

 

[astrowizzle]

We lost momentum and got trounced
But the guys worked hard to be right in the game and that was absolutely taken from them
Geelong would not have got the run on f they weren't getting their knobs sucked and they wouldnt have been 4 goals up at 3/4 time. By that stage the guys had dropped their heads and it was too late.
I umpiring can absolutely determine a result and this is one of them
Problem we have it happens regularly
I want Essendon gf to open up the communication lines between us supporters and the coaches. Let the voice that pays them be involved in what we want them to do at the tribunal amongst other things
Essendon supporters are nothing to I this club
Until they become more transparent with the supporters I will not give another dime to Essendon fc or the afl

 

[ghostdog]

I cannot remember the last time I was genuinely pissed off at umpiring. The whole 3rd quarter was utter trash and it came without warning. The first half wasn't badly umpired at all and I even think we had the better of some 50-50 calls but at HT they just decided to turn the game around for some reason. Then the last quarter it went back to how it was in the first half. I don't know what inspired that 3rd quarter rubbish but it really needs to be looked into.

I was genuinely shocked at how deliberately one-sided that 3rd quarter was. Not even the 4th quarter of the 2019 ANZAC day game was this bad. Outrageous.

Call me an anti-vaxxer if you like, but it did feel like someone realised the switch had been flicked and the third quarter was the time. The Draper non-free for front on contact or chopping the arm was the most inexplicable. Honestly, I don't actually think the fix was in, but it sure felt like it. It wouldn't surprise me if some regulator somewhere raised an eyebrow.

 

[MiguelM]

Umpires aside you can not give up 11.7 on turnover against anyone let alone a side in a similar area of the ladder and expect to win games.

That is why I would like Roberts get a run and move Martin forward.

Roberts looks (from what I have seen) to have very good kicking skills.

 

[Dave]

and, let's not forget, this doesn't include the other side of the ledger. That is, the OOB deliberate not paid to Geelong; the numerous holding the balls not paid against Geelong, during the same period. Just blatant inconsistency at best.

I get annoyed with umpires but I always know deep down it's a tough gig, they're doing their best, and conspiracies are for morons.

But Saturday night was the most egregious displayed of one-sided, or biased, umpiring I've ever seen. I don't know why or how, but it was so outrageous that I can't believe it was just "one of those things", or just the way the cards fell. It was utterly putrid.

Now, people can say it wasn't the reason we lost, and I'm damn glad that's the approach Scott took, publicly at least. But here's the thing: AFL footy in 2024 more than any other time is about momentum. And the umpires single-handedly took that momentum and gave it to Geelong on a silver platter. It killed the game. We had it for most of the first half, and it was on us that we didn't make the most of it, but it was ****ing devastated in the third by the umpires. Should our boys have been able to get past it? Yeah sure, I guess. But that's the thing. This was so egregious that it almost seems to me to be unreasonable to expect it. I know I was gobsmacked, as were all of you. It's singularly telling that even the commentators were talking about it, and they almost never bother highlighting poor or inconsistent umpiring.

There's no other conclusion to draw other than the umpiring was an utter disgrace and I hope I never see anything like it again. It ruined the game entirely. I don't blame the players for dropping their heads, frankly, as bad as that sounds. It was truly awful and genuinely biased for whatever reason. I turned off in protest 5m into the last quarter and played Playstation because life's too short for that shit

At the ground I was so flat at 3/4 time I didn't care whether we won or lost. My son, who is normally calm and tells me to be quiet, was as loud and angry as I've ever seen at the footy. As much as I agree that the players should have been able to cope with it I can understand that they didn't. We are still a developing team that is recovering from years of mediocrity and a decade of saga crap.

 

[Dave]

I don't bother anymore because it goes like this:

Me: 5 minute rant.
MrsB: Well why do you watch it then if it makes you feel this way?
Me: Because I have to.
MrsB: No you don't.
Me:

Sounds like the convo I have with Mrs D.....

 

[Dave]

Umpires aside you can not give up 11.7 on turnover against anyone let alone a side in a similar area of the ladder and expect to win games.

True, how much of that was due to the aformentioned? For example, the goal after the Draper non call, was that classed as a goal after a t/o? We have a ways to go granted, it's just frustrating when not one decision but a run of them cruels any chance you have to win?

 

[Kong]

She used to do this but now I get banished to whatever TV she doesn't want.

okay richy

 

[Dave]

Damnit Kong!!!

 

[BratPack]

A shit load easier to build and cross that bridge when you are constantly getting the rub of the green. that's something in 50 years I have never seen us really get. Rub of green to me is we break even on penalties

A good side doesn't need the rub of the green. We are not a good side.

 

[ant555]

True, how much of that was due to the aformentioned? For example, the goal after the Draper non call, was that classed as a goal after a t/o? We have a ways to go granted, it's just frustrating when not one decision but a run of them cruels any chance you have to win?

No it was not classed as a turnover.

 

[ant555]

That is why I would like Roberts get a run and move Martin forward.

Roberts looks (from what I have seen) to have very good kicking skills.

I know that Roberts has missed out as he is still working out a few defensive issues. Double edged sword. We need good kicks in the side but we are also desperate to build the defensive structure and get that set before we change up game style. It is like D'Ambrosio . I would love his kicking skill set but his slow defensive transition would drive me crazy . I know plenty would prefer the kicking skills.

 

[DallasCrane316]

AFL privately told Scott that the rushed behind and Draper non call were mistakes. Which Scott just publicly announced on AFL 360.

AFL maintains the Ridley HTB was correct. Scott and Bevo saying absolutely it wasn’t and it’s an obvious mistake.

Scott having a crack about the Merrett fine. Club wanted to appeal, Merrett wants to move on and focus on the next game.

 

[Phone]

Both those decisions were incorrect (two wrongs don't make a right).

nah they're correct under the new world order we're under. No prior opportunity doesn't matter because Ridley had one arm free and was expected to make an effort to dispose of the football. (I mean, it was HTB under the old rule too. But Jordan would have been given time to try to kick it when he was on the ground). All this talk of "quick whistles" don't apply here because of the free arm. He's given just enough time to hang himself. If both arms had been caught, it would have been called ball-up straight away. Instead, it's HTB. It's better to tackle one arm than to catch both of them now. It's stupid but anyone with half a brain knew this was gonna happen. the AFL's not gonna call it a mistake. complete stupidity but here we are.

 

[DallasCrane316]

Clark call was also a mistake.

 

[Happyskeret]

I will be judging the character of the players more on this weeks game than the Geelong game.

 

[Phone]

With the Stewart one, Scott has misspoken I think. He would have meant to say that Stewart had no prior opportunity but tried to get rid of it, so play on

(I think he had prior opportunity but that one was always gonna be ticked off as correct. it would have been called correct if HTB was paid imo. It's marginal enough for the AFL to say it's ok either way)

 

[Kong]

Damnit Kong!!!

YACO BREAKER

 

[Call Me Cake]

Other than the Port game we haven't done too bad win or loss, I think in light of that the team has deserved that benefit of doubt.

Doesn't mean we we're a top four quality team or that we ever were but to say that we've regressed to our last year's selves is also just as big of a stretch. Hopefully we can keep learning from matches like these and use them as fuel to do better.

 

[DallasCrane316]

 

[Don_Gia]

How many years in a row have we been saying this though? We need to make some legitimate, actual changes. This 22 + Ainsworth isn’t doing anything.

Yeah fair…To be frank I was writing that last paragraph thinking the same thing lol