Should someone from AFL HQ be fined for the umpires jumper clash with Melbourne?

[pies_this_year]

The AFL will willy nilly handout fines to anyone and everyone for the slightest of "mistakes". The severeness of the fines handed out for such minuscule bets last week is the greatest proof of this. You would think that one of the worst jumper clashes ever manufactured is slightly more important than a 5 dollar bet being placed. They will suspend players for the slightest of accidental contact, and they will even fine teams that do not wear the jumper the AFL tell them to.

The AFL have been banging on for a number of years now of the need for clash jumpers, even when clashes don't exist or simple short/sock combination changes will fix any problems. Some "enforcement" of jumpers have even intensified a clash. How can they ALWAYS get this wrong. The agenda of clash jumpers needs to be clarified, as I don't believe they are to solve clashes, rather a blatant revenue raiser. There are far less clashes between clubs than what is required IMO.

The incompetence of the AFL in not recognising a clash before Friday night should not go unpunished. As Gary Lyon confirmed last night, the Melbourne Football Club queried the AFL on the potential clash and we're told that "it won't be a problem". Adrian Anderson, head of AFL Operations, and the "head of guernsey control" (whose name escapes me) were not aware of these emails. Is the work experience kid in charge of communications between clubs now?

Someone needs to be held accountable, in the same way they feel the need to hand out punishment for anyone else in the organisation that makes a mistake. AA coming out and stating "we were wrong, we apologise, and we move on" is not a good enough answer.

 

[Buddha117]

Agree

 

[wilsonstheman]

yep.

 

[ziad]

yep

dumb

 

[im_a_lazy_sod]

Yep

Ridiculous that it was allowed to happen and the afl did <b>NOTHING</b> to rectify the situation - i'm sure they could have easily changed strips at half-time?

Gutted if i was a Melbourne supporter - twice now the umps have stuffed up the Dees (Collingwood game, now this)

 

[Go_Dogs]

Jill Lindsay is the person responsible for such decisions, and surely some ramifications should follow, although I wouldn't be holding my breath.

Wasn't fair on either side, as it often made it look like there were 3 additional Melbourne players on the field. Melbourne players handpassed to the umpires, and no doubt it impacted on the Bulldogs decision making too.

Someone should paint the seagulls another colour too, as on the telecast they were also often confused with the Bulldogs' white jumper.

 

[Deefolt]

um was footy classified on sunday?

 

[chardonnay]

Not in the same class, but a blunder nonetheless, was the Hawks jumper v the Eagles, too much gold.
Stand up Adrian, a donation from your pocket to the appropriate charity?

 

[melbournemartin]

Hilarious that an umpire backs into a player who can't get out of the way and the player gets fined thousands of dollars.

When the AFL makes a ****up that could have potentially cost a team a game (big call but plausible) nothing happens except a bunch of people apologising and looking dumb.

 

[LG UniT]

Wasn't fair on either side, as it often made it look like there were 3 additional Melbourne players on the field.

How is this a disadvantage to the Bulldogs? I didn't see any of their players dodging umpires or shooting handballs at them. There was a clash, but it definitely didn't make things harder for the doggies mate, if anything it gifted you the game.

Ridiculous mistake by the AFL, especially after Melbourne FC emailed the AFL to warn them of the clash.

 

[Go_Dogs]

How is this a disadvantage to the Bulldogs? I didn't see any of their players dodging umpires or shooting handballs at them. There was a clash, but it definitely didn't make things harder for the doggies mate, if anything it gifted you the game.

Ummm...because when in congestion it would look like an additional Demons player at the contest? If your players thought it was a team mate, we (you would naturally assume) thought it was an opposition player closing down our options and space.

Pretty straight forward I would have thought.

 

[rich_hawk]

The disadvantages to the Demon's far outweighed the disadvantages to the Bulldogs. Yes I agree that the hawks vs west coast jumpers were a screw up as well, but on a smaller scale. Why didnt the hawks just wear their clash and the eagles their blue one? Or the hawks wear the normal and Eagles the blue/or clash?

 

[LightTower4]

They can't really fine themselves as such but, at the very least to offically acknowledge and record the stuff up, a donation in the vicinity similar to what a club would get should suffice.
Donation to the Pink Lady fund.

 

[LordJimmy]

AFL fines themselves?

I think compensation payments to the Melbourne Football Club are in order. Didn't West Coast get a massive fine once for wearing the wrong strip? Same mistake. They need to enforce consistency and not have double standards, but they won't.

The AFL administration is a joke and has been for so long now.

 

[crowralph]

simply has to be one of the most idiotic decisions ever made in professional sport. i don't think any amount of spin can reduce the sheer incompetence shown by the afl. honestly, if they can't be trusted to get the umpires to clash appropriately with the vast array of flourescent colours available, then what can they seriously be trusted with. on top of this, had they worn all flouro pink then it may not have been so bad. but they matched the pink top with dark shorts. the person responsible has embarressed the afl and made a mockery of the professional level that the code is admistered at. whoever it is, simply needs to lose their job. it is not about pretty colours, it is about ensuring that the two opposing teams do not clash with each other and then ensuring that the umpires don't clash with either as well. not hard, there's only 8 games each week, so only 24 sets of colours to look at.

 

[PrideOf]

Someone needs to be held accountable, in the same way they feel the need to hand out punishment for anyone else in the organisation that makes a mistake. AA coming out and stating "we were wrong, we apologise, and we move on" is not a good enough answer.
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Now that's some champagne comedy right there.

Since when have the current administration been accountable for anything?

 

[AllStar7]

This would never happen in a Collingwood/Carlton/Essendon game, would it?

I'm sick and tired of being screwed over by the AFL. We asked the AFL to change the umpires' uniforms before the game and they said no. We could foresee the problems but the AFL couldn't care less, because to them we are worthless.

If you didn't love your club so much, what reason would you have to keep watching and financially supporting a competition that is this incompetent? FFS!

 

[Pie eyed]

The person responsible for the decision in the first place should be sacked.
The person who ignored Melbourne's request to change the ump's attire should be sacked.

If it happens to be the same person they should be sacked twice.

 

[MisterB]

Anderson nominated Jill Lindsay as being the person who made the decision. Just another in the long line of stuff ups. Time to hang up the boots Jill.

 

[wowlace]

If it happens to be the same person they should be sacked twice.

lol

 

[Father Jack]

didn't get past the first line of the OP. The betting thing is entirely different.

 

[jinny1]

Fken hypocritcal idiots...

Double standards