- Apr 29, 2016
- 13,904
- 12,267
- AFL Club
- Melbourne
Ok, let’s get on your level and look at a bigger sample size. Let’s get really crazy and look at the WHOLE YEAR (insane stuff, I know).
Let’s compare the amount of free kicks the Bulldogs, who you are saying are notorious divers and floppers, and the amount of free kicks, let’s say… Melbourne received.
The Bulldogs received a total of 458 free kicks for the season.
Melbourne received a total of 442.
That’s a difference of 16, which, when we’re dealing with numbers in the mid 400s, isn’t overly significant.
In fact, it’s less than 1 more free kick per round.
So, in summary, you are suggesting that the majority of free kicks awarded to the Bulldogs - no doubt handed to those renowned cheats, Macrae, Hunter, Weightman et al. - were the result of umpire corruption, yet all 442 free kicks awarded to those brave and noble Demons were awarded correctly, and in fact, they should have received more? Maybe even just one more free kick per game? Even thought that would mean they received more than the cheating, corrupt Bulldogs?
For the record I went back to 2019 as well.
So then the crazy free kick differential is purely the number of free kicks that the dogs don't give away. Now why would the umpires not pay frees against the dogs. Please don't tell me its because they play a disciplined game style. I'd suggest it has something to do with corruption or protection of AFL's golden child Bontempelli. The sample size in my eyes is big enough to suggest corruption. Everyone has a line or a threshold by which if they cross it they're convinced something isn't right. For example, on GF day if the Free kick count was 50 to 0 Dogs favour would you say 'the free kick count isn't designed to be equal' or 'we are more disciplined' or would you be convinced that there are bigger powers at play? If 50 to 0 wasn't enough what would be your threshold? 100-0, 1000-0?
For me, Rd 4 vs Bris, Rd 10 vs Stk, Rd 16 vs North, Rd 17 vs Syd, Rd 19 vs Dees was my threshold, alongside the Essendon game in R21 was enough to convince me that this is more than just one sided umpiring.