The Bulldogs and Umpires: Time for a Royal Commission?

[kickazz]

Will be an interesting watch for sure over the next two weeks.
How much influence can/will the umpiring have to see a Cats vs Hawks GF eventuate?

Hopefully none but it will be an interesting watch and see.

Honestly, I think the AFL would be keen on a Sydney derby GF, they'd throw the kitchen sink at marketing it.

 

[MagpieJo]

Will be an interesting watch for sure over the next two weeks.
How much influence can/will the umpiring have to see a Cats vs Hawks GF eventuate?

Hopefully none but it will be an interesting watch and see.

Ugh worst nightmare! Actually that would have been cats vs dogs!

 

[MagpieJo]

People continue to underestimate the influence that umpiring has on games.

Winning 7 Free Kicks is literally winning 7 Contests.

That's an enormous advantage - especially for a team with pretty much the whole list playing in their first final.

Lose 7 Contests in the first quarter, or even 4-5 of those, and the momentum swings entirely. For an inexperienced team, that makes a huge difference.


Culturally, it puzzles me why people don't recognise the significant impact umpiring decisions have on the results of football games.

100 percent agree with this. And then when they try and even up last quarter, the frees are all in the backline, not in front of goal! I am sick to death of umpires choosing or at least effecting the outcome of games, when I coached my youngest kids netball team (18 wins from 25 grand finals) I always told my kids play the game out, don’t expect a free for anything, no matter how obvious, because you want to be enough in front that the mother of all umpire decisions doesn’t cost you the game. Footy is no different. And one thing I did notice was dog players waiting for frees, including Bont. The hawks played as they have from when I was in the cheers squad back in Vic park days, they don’t wait for frees and they run through everyone.

 

[MagpieJo]

Honestly, I think the AFL would be keen on a Sydney derby GF, they'd throw the kitchen sink at marketing it.

That will do me, GWS to win because it’s the MCG, not that horrible round domed ground that is the scg.
Or Brisbane. The further away the cup is the less painful!