SEASON 2024

[Nvent]

I’m sorry but the state of umpiring is best described by a 15yo with limited experience umpiring the senior grand final. Good luck to him in getting the game but he realistically has umpired one year of senior football. Whilst we have all discussed the virtues of the senior coach (no need to go back there) surely a teenager needs more time to develop and gain experience to be appointed to these games. Exposing him to that level at a young age may see him walk away from umpiring for good due to a bad experience. That’s not good coaching or development.

Umpiring is in trouble everywhere unfortunately. It is a tireless and thankless task and they work in a primarily negative environment and they are realistically never correct. It is easy to ‘bag’ them but rarely people come up with a solution. The poor quality of coaches everywhere is due to many not wanting to do the job due to the time commitment, constant criticism and poor remuneration. I know of a number of real,y good people who would do the jobs if the conditions were better.

Why can clubs pay players a fortune and often way above market rate (and ability) but scream when an increase in wages for umpires/ better coaches is suggested. Then they complain incessantly about having to pay more to their respective leagues to try and improve the situation. What then happens is the loudest/ majority wins and umpiring continues to suffer the same issues.

This is not just an Outer East situation, it is everywhere. I am told the umpiring in the Eastern premier grand final was poor too.

The AFLOE has good umpires unfortunately the umpires boss ignorantly selected others for finals. No way should a young kid have been umpiring a senior GF. Don’t insult our intelligence by trying to say he’s in the best 3 umpires up here. The game yesterday was ruined due to one umpire over officiating and one just far too inexperienced to make correct calls. When you have an umpires boss that believes every time body contact occurs it’s a free kick we are doomed. To then see him assisted by one of the worst umpires for making the game about himself my god.


I’d say the AFLOE would have a record amount of 25 meter penalties downfield send offs and reports.
Completely lost any feel for the game.

 

[Squib]

The AFLOE has good umpires unfortunately the umpires boss ignorantly selected others for finals. No way should a young kid have been umpiring a senior GF. Don’t insult our intelligence by trying to say he’s in the best 3 umpires up here. The game yesterday was ruined due to one umpire over officiating and one just far too inexperienced to make correct calls. When you have an umpires boss that believes every time body contact occurs it’s a free kick we are doomed. To then see him assisted by one of the worst umpires for making the game about himself my god.


I’d say the AFLOE would have a record amount of 25 meter penalties downfield send offs and reports.
Completely lost any feel for the game.

Agree . The finals games I caught were just horrendous. It was identified in week 1 of finals there were glaring issues, yet nothing changed including yesterday’s GF. The commentators were confused and at times snickering at calls. It’s actually a real concern for the competition imo.

 

[Noodles Magee]

The young kid wasn’t the issue, he was fine IMO. The amount of off the ball free kicks paid by the one bloke we are all referring to on here was comical and he was clearly being communicated to via an earpiece which is a whole other debacle.
In no way did the officiating affect the result, NW were too classy, composed and took their chances. But when you have players looking around in bewilderment wondering which way the decision was going to go and what it was for then it ruins the spectacle which is supposed to be the showpiece of the comp. League officials feeling the need to apologise for the state of the officiating tells you all you need to know about the mess that was yesterday.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

I’m sorry but the state of umpiring is best described by a 15yo with limited experience umpiring the senior grand final. Good luck to him in getting the game but he realistically has umpired one year of senior football. Whilst we have all discussed the virtues of the senior coach (no need to go back there) surely a teenager needs more time to develop and gain experience to be appointed to these games. Exposing him to that level at a young age may see him walk away from umpiring for good due to a bad experience. That’s not good coaching or development.

Umpiring is in trouble everywhere unfortunately. It is a tireless and thankless task and they work in a primarily negative environment and they are realistically never correct. It is easy to ‘bag’ them but rarely people come up with a solution. The poor quality of coaches everywhere is due to many not wanting to do the job due to the time commitment, constant criticism and poor remuneration. I know of a number of real,y good people who would do the jobs if the conditions were better.

Why can clubs pay players a fortune and often way above market rate (and ability) but scream when an increase in wages for umpires/ better coaches is suggested. Then they complain incessantly about having to pay more to their respective leagues to try and improve the situation. What then happens is the loudest/ majority wins and umpiring continues to suffer the same issues.

This is not just an Outer East situation, it is everywhere. I am told the umpiring in the Eastern premier grand final was poor too.

There is a solution and it quite simply involves money.

Until field umpires are paid at least several hundred dollars per match it will remain terrible.

It needs to be a viable part-time job so it attracts people and then the cream will rise to the top.

There is simply no umpires at the moment at why would there be? Why would you pay money (after your expenses) to get abused every week?

It’s absolutely amazing that we have any at all.

 

[Nvent]

The young kid wasn’t the issue, he was fine IMO. The amount of off the ball free kicks paid by the one bloke we are all referring to on here was comical and he was clearly being communicated to via an earpiece which is a whole other debacle.
In no way did the officiating affect the result, NW were too classy, composed and took their chances. But when you have players looking around in bewilderment wondering which way the decision was going to go and what it was for then it ruins the spectacle which is supposed to be the showpiece of the comp. League officials feeling the need to apologise for the state of the officiating tells you all you need to know about the mess that was yesterday.

If I hear again that the best umpires don’t get Grand Finals as it’s a rotation to make it fair I will spew up.

 

[aussie80s]

I think the young kid doing the umpiring has been excellent all year, despite only being about 14 y.o. My team didn't make the finals but he umpired a lot of our games and I was really impressed with him every time I saw him. He makes quick decisive decisions and keeps the game moving.

I expect we'll lose him to the AFL in a couple of years and think he is an asset to the League and deserved his shot at a GF. I was at the Narre v Wandin GF as a neutral watcher and thought he did fine. I am guessing they have been told to crack down on sling tackles and they overdo that at times which is the only detraction, but that is more their instructions than their decisions in that regard and a filter down effect from the AFL.