Roast Statement on Umpires

[geelong sajnt]

I hate to be the person to point the finger at the umpires and blame them for poor performances (be a sore looser), because we did play some poor footy, mainly from the point of our disposal efficiency. But god damn, I do not say this lightly, that is the worst display of umpiring I've seen in years bar Adelaide last year. Absolutely disgraceful from the umpires. I hope they get a serious talking to, and I hope that our club finally says something, it's ruining the game when BLATANT one-sided umpiring ruins the momentum of games. We had poor disposal efficiency and bad contesting of the ball, but better pressure and intensity than West Coast when we had momentum. I genuinely believe with FAIR umpiring, we would have been in the game due to momentum- it could have been anyones game. Every time they got momentum it was off the back of a bunch of shit free kicks and ignoring blatantly obvious frees to us.

That game really annoyed me. I have not turned the TV off early in over a decade, even when we're 80 points down. But I turned the TV off 4 minutes before the end of the game because I was just sick and tired of watching what could have been a great game ruined by the umpires. Seriously, this MUST change. We almost always get the short end of the stick, and if this game does not make our club speak up about it, nothing will, and that makes me sad that supporters won't be able to enjoy games because of bullshit like that.

Sorry for the rage- I'm probably over-reacting because it's in the moment so feel free to ignore me if you disagree with what I'm saying, but I rarely get annoyed and this hit that threshold. I am disgusted that umpires like that are allowed to adjudicate our games.

On the other hand, I was pleased with Shenton (best game of the year), Dunstan, McKenzie, Bruce, Armitage, Savage, Stevens, Roberton- absolute gun and Acres showed some good skills when he came on.

No you sum up how I feel, I am happy to concede we are perhaps a 6 to 7 goal worse side where we are at and with the injuries we got. But the way the game was umpired was a joke. The ducking of the head, the lack of holding the ball calls when players are swung around 720 degrees, the calls of touched when the ball misses by a metre. There was NO WAY during that third quarter that the eagles deserved twice the free kicks. AND IT HAPPENS EVERY WEEK. It's a joke and makes the game unwatchable. I will ban myself from eagles matches because they annoy me too much.

 

[sonnywalters]

Our club should put in a formal complaint.
Can anyone tally our frees for and against for this season?
Also I have never ever ever seen West Coast lose a free count in 20 years.
Must be the gold sash or something.

 

[goodie23]

Was going to post something along those lines. Disgracefully biased umpiring today and not the first time this season. Umpiring like that knocks the wind out of our sails, makes players second guess themselves and is pretty soul crushing to watch. Someone's got to have a word to the AFL about the double standards we're being held to.

 

[God Save Max King]

We have a free kick differential of -4.5 per game, the worst in the league.

 

[Plugger35]

This is a joke thread, right?

Lulz you and opposition supporters bag me for complaining about the raw deal we cop from umpires and then when it gets shoved in your face like today you complain about it.

I got banned once again from the main board gameday thread for complaining about the umpiring in the first quarter and then it got even worse.

The AFL must be running the Bigfooty main board these days where any complaints about umpires get censored.

Thankfully the Saints board still believes in the right to free speech, well for us Saints anyway.

 

[Axcellence]

I am happy to set up a petition up on change.org.


What i do need is a list of contentious decisions, eg with their approx times, so i can list them.

Ill put up a draft of the petition here as well for discussion.

 

[Saint Luke]

Lulz you and opposition supporters bag me for complaining about the raw deal we cop from umpires and then when it gets shoved in your face like today you complain about it.

I got banned once again from the main board gameday thread for complaining about the umpiring in the first quarter and then it got even worse.

The AFL must be running the Bigfooty main board these days where any complaints about umpires get censored.

Thankfully the Saints board still believes in the right to free speech, well for us Saints anyway.

To be fair, we could win the count by twenty and you'd still complain on the main board. It's your go to post.

 

[mysainters]

I am happy to set up a petition up on change.org.


What i do need is a list of contentious decisions, eg with their approx times, so i can list them.

Ill put up a draft of the petition here as well for discussion.

Need to go through the game with a fine tooth comb.

 

[geelong sajnt]

Five minute look at the stats since 2005. Remember during this time the saints have played in finals twice as much, thus the argument about umpires biased towards good sides falls down. As I said, since 2005 the saints have only had 4 out of 11 years where their frees FOR have been bigger then frees AGAINST. WCE on the other hand have not had ONE YEAR where they have had a negative free kick count.

It does not make sense? Most people say it's swings and roundabouts.... will even itself up. 11 years PEOPLE, 11 years

 

[goodie23]

Not sure if it was Foote, here are some I remember from today:

• NicNat is awarded a shepherding free in the ruck in the first quarter. Two centre bounces later, NicNat launches himself by putting his hands on Longer's shoulders, getting nowhere near the ball and physically holding Longer out of the contest. No free paid.
• In the fourth quarter I believe, Bruce is leading for ball, puts down mark. There is a clear hand shoving in the back by the West Coast defender, umpire (I believe Foote) had to see it because he was between myself and the contest. No free paid.
• Harsh holding the ball decision paid against St Kilda in the first quarter, prior opportunity was maybe two seconds, good solid West Coast tackle meant no further chance to dispose of the ball. Identical instances later in the game, inevitably with West Coast in possession, resulted in no free kick paid.
• St Kilda player is tackled in defensive 50 and opts to handpass the ball instead of risk getting pinged for holding the ball. Ball bounces out of bounds and deliberate out of bounds is paid. Fast forward a few minutes and a West Coast player being chased by a St Kilda player taps the ball across the line, one bounce then over. No free paid.

It's the constant double standards that pisses me off.

 

[Verdun66]

I am not a major umpire basher but Umpire Foote (2) previously number 25 must seriously hate St Kilda. He looks for every free kick against us and has for the last few years.

That guy has dudded us virtually every time he's umpired us. Dread it when I realise he is umpiring us again.

 

[God Save Max King]

Worst 3 decisions for mine were in the second half.

Liam Duggan given a high tackle free kick, free kick against Daniel McKenzie. Replay shows it was clearly a fair tackle. In third quarter.

Billings tackle on a West Coast player, he had prior, not paid holding the ball. 4th quarter.

Roberton clearly held off the contest. No free kick. 4th quarter.

 

[Plugger35]

To be fair, we could win the count by twenty and you'd still complain on the main board. It's your go to post.

That's a big hypothetical, I can't remember us winning a free kick count by ten let alone twenty in the 7 or 8 years I've been posting here.

I've been labelled a serial umpire whinger on Bigfooty but the stats continually back me up, we have the most frees paid against us this year.

Contrary to popular belief I care more about St Kilda than the umpires but if the umpires don't care about us, I will kick the goddamn shit out of them.

 

[Rors]

The worst double standard was in the last quarter, our broadcast side forward pocket. Dunstan gets tackled, does the arm shrug, WCE players arm slips up & smacks Dunstan across the face, no whistle, tackle continues, umpire calls a ball up.

When Dunstan got up, he enquired as to why no free kick. Umpire motions that he shrugged his arm up to get the tackle to draw the high contact....

FFS THATS WHAT THE WEST COAST PLAYERS DID ALL ****ING DAY & GOT A FREE KICK EVERY ****ING TIME!

 

[Adam H]

We laid 87 tackles and got not one holding the ball our way. Please don't tell me that's not cheating because it cannot be argued against.

 

[Rors]

The Billings tackle on the wing was a disgrace too... It was either holding the ball or high contact for the forearm fend-off straight to Jacks throat.

Of course, we were paid neither...

 

[borderbarry]

20 to WCE 12 to us. It was worse than that. Early on it was 8 to 1.
The umpies gave us a couple of rubbish free kicks early in the 2nd half maybe to make the figures look better.

 

[Adam H]

The Billings tackle on the wing was a disgrace too... It was either holding the ball or high contact for the forearm fend-off straight to Jacks throat.

Of course, we were paid neither...

That was to obvious to be an error it was just cheating.

 

[70s sainter]

West coast player got swung around 3 TIMES holding the ball in a tackle - no free kick.
Never seen that before in footy - cheats!!

 

[CALL ME SNAKE]

I too think he's a pretty crap ump.
but its 'swings & roundabouts' IMO.
Its only when you get some shit decisions against you that you notice the umps.
If Bruce got a few soft ones for chopping of the arms that werent really there and if Armo got a few gifts in the centre we wouldnt start a thread saying " geez how lucky were we with the umpires whistle"
So personally id rather just suck it up and wait till its our turn to get the rub of the green.

YES we got shafted a few times today. Unfortunately its not why we lost.
But i do understand people being extremely frustrated

 

[Ekomaira]

Liam Duggan given a high tackle free kick, free kick against Daniel McKenzie. Replay shows it was clearly a fair tackle. In third quarter.

That was so bad I had to crack a smile.

Worst decision in the history of the game. By a fair distance.

 

[Ekomaira]

 

[Lord_Bumfluff]

The McKenzie one was just absolutely terrible, they have got to get rid of this Foote flog, he has umpired some shocking games this year

 

[Persevering Saint]

The best part with that farcical decision against McKenzie was that Duggan kicked straight into McKenzie manning the mark. Sweet, sweet justice.

 

[Sainttony]

Did he pay us a free?