VAFA General Discussion 2022-2023-2024

[bedford]

FWIW new vafa president creating a big footy account and the Herald Sun doing a write up on Div1-Div4 recruits, what other nuggets does 2024 have in store? Bedford as the new mod?

Happy to accept fwiw

 

[zeroseven]

Field umpiring at Prem C and D1 level is quite burdensome on a full-time professional. Have to attend training(s), coaching, contribute to online forums, watch game vision back and self-critique (including in front of the entire group). Possible tribunal attendance, league investigations and constant complaints from clubs mean decisions made in a split second can be assessed and reviewed in a high pressure situation on a weeknight. It's not as simple as rocking up on gameday and blowing a whistle - there's 10-15 hours of work per week that goes into a senior field umpire's job.

Game day you have to deal with clubs whose position in the VAFA hierarchy often doesn't meet their own self-perceptions, so they have a major chip on their shoulder. Players and officials can be downright nasty on the field with occasional highly personal attacks. The players are old boys that are not accustomed to having decisions go against them, so they lash out. I've seen a few field umpires step off the field at half- or full-time shaken this season because of personal attacks during a match. If you report the player, you'd be forced to rehash that matter on a weeknight and it's the umpires word against a player or powerful club. I can see why many long-time fieldies stepped away during the Covid-break and the treatment of umpires has gotten worse since then, not better.

Great post

 

[HedgeFund]

No , just share the load and why can't they be !

What do you mean share the load?

Just because there’s lots of women wanting to play football doesn’t mean there has to be a similar proportion of women wanting to officiate football does it?

Frankly if I was a male umpire I’d prefer to umpire womens matches.

Far less testosterone and back chat on the field. The likelihood of copping a spray from a player or spectator would be miniscule compared to mens football.

 

[Max Leader]

So she we require them to be coached by women as well?

Hedge, i agree with Bedford on this. How many umpires have the female competition added to the comp, either male or female. The answer would be less than a handful.

 

[Blood Stained Angels]

Field umpiring at Prem C and D1 level is quite burdensome on a full-time professional. Have to attend training(s), coaching, contribute to online forums, watch game vision back and self-critique (including in front of the entire group). Possible tribunal attendance, league investigations and constant complaints from clubs mean decisions made in a split second can be assessed and reviewed in a high pressure situation on a weeknight. It's not as simple as rocking up on gameday and blowing a whistle - there's 10-15 hours of work per week that goes into a senior field umpire's job.

Game day you have to deal with clubs whose position in the VAFA hierarchy often doesn't meet their own self-perceptions, so they have a major chip on their shoulder. Players and officials can be downright nasty on the field with occasional highly personal attacks. The players are old boys that are not accustomed to having decisions go against them, so they lash out. I've seen a few field umpires step off the field at half- or full-time shaken this season because of personal attacks during a match. If you report the player, you'd be forced to rehash that matter on a weeknight and it's the umpires word against a player or powerful club. I can see why many long-time fieldies stepped away during the Covid-break and the treatment of umpires has gotten worse since then, not better.

That's a very good sum up of the overall situation, well done.

 

[Blood Stained Angels]

What do you mean share the load?

Just because there’s lots of women wanting to play football doesn’t mean there has to be a similar proportion of women wanting to officiate football does it?

Frankly if I was a male umpire I’d prefer to umpire womens matches.

Far less testosterone and back chat on the field. The likelihood of copping a spray from a player or spectator would be miniscule compared to mens football.

Did you see the recent video of the testosterone fuelled woman running onto the field last Friday night at the Gunn ???? Wow, I'm not sure you'd enjoy that too much if she was also a player.

 

[zeroseven]

Hedge, i agree with Bedford on this. How many umpires have the female competition added to the comp, either male or female. The answer would be less than a handful.

Tipping you are both over 60 ... get with it!

 

[bedford]

Field umpiring at Prem C and D1 level is quite burdensome on a full-time professional. Have to attend training(s), coaching, contribute to online forums, watch game vision back and self-critique (including in front of the entire group). Possible tribunal attendance, league investigations and constant complaints from clubs mean decisions made in a split second can be assessed and reviewed in a high pressure situation on a weeknight. It's not as simple as rocking up on gameday and blowing a whistle - there's 10-15 hours of work per week that goes into a senior field umpire's job.

Game day you have to deal with clubs whose position in the VAFA hierarchy often doesn't meet their own self-perceptions, so they have a major chip on their shoulder. Players and officials can be downright nasty on the field with occasional highly personal attacks. The players are old boys that are not accustomed to having decisions go against them, so they lash out. I've seen a few field umpires step off the field at half- or full-time shaken this season because of personal attacks during a match. If you report the player, you'd be forced to rehash that matter on a weeknight and it's the umpires word against a player or powerful club. I can see why many long-time fieldies stepped away during the Covid-break and the treatment of umpires has gotten worse since then, not better.

Good post , but not all are Old Boys

 

[bedford]

Did you see the recent video of the testosterone fuelled woman running onto the field last Friday night at the Gunn ???? Wow, I'm not sure you'd enjoy that too much if she was also a player.

She is a player , i thought it was a bloke from a distance , maybe alcohol fuelled !

 

[bedford]

Tipping you are both over 60 ... get with it!

What are you 6

 

[Blood Stained Angels]

She is a player , i thought it was a bloke from a distance , maybe alcohol fuelled !

What ever she was on, i wouldn't want to run into her in a dark alley. Horrendous !!!!!!!

 

[Ammo_Lover]

Not at all , have coached girls . I maybe should have put it better , it's grown quicker than recruitment .

you are 100% correct. The females supply the players, team managers, coaches etc. But hardly a NEW umpire to speak of. (i umpire lots of womens footy by the way and enjoy doing so)

 

[Deleted member 20240623]

She is a player , i thought it was a bloke from a distance , maybe alcohol fuelled !

Hey Bedders, where can we find vision of woman running onto ground.
West Brunswick issued statement on facebook page

 

[bedford]

Hey Bedders, where can we find vision of woman running onto ground.
West Brunswick issued statement on facebook page

Just read that , i presume they will go deeper internally . It was a great after match with both sides having meals and drinks . You really can't see much in the vision

 

[les argen]

Field umpiring at Prem C and D1 level is quite burdensome on a full-time professional. Have to attend training(s), coaching, contribute to online forums, watch game vision back and self-critique (including in front of the entire group). Possible tribunal attendance, league investigations and constant complaints from clubs mean decisions made in a split second can be assessed and reviewed in a high pressure situation on a weeknight. It's not as simple as rocking up on gameday and blowing a whistle - there's 10-15 hours of work per week that goes into a senior field umpire's job.

Game day you have to deal with clubs whose position in the VAFA hierarchy often doesn't meet their own self-perceptions, so they have a major chip on their shoulder. Players and officials can be downright nasty on the field with occasional highly personal attacks. The players are old boys that are not accustomed to having decisions go against them, so they lash out. I've seen a few field umpires step off the field at half- or full-time shaken this season because of personal attacks during a match. If you report the player, you'd be forced to rehash that matter on a weeknight and it's the umpires word against a player or powerful club. I can see why many long-time fieldies stepped away during the Covid-break and the treatment of umpires has gotten worse since then, not better.

Great post.

I regret my own past behaviour and have sworn off umpire bashing. Many on this forum could do the same I reckon. How many versions of “my club was robbed by umpires making mistakes” do we see every season. Not many are prepared to be honest about why they lost, that’s harder.

If we start valuing umpires and treating them the same as we do our players who make mistakes we might see some uplift in numbers.

 

[HedgeFund]

Hedge, i agree with Bedford on this. How many umpires have the female competition added to the comp, either male or female. The answer would be less than a handful.

Why do the women have to “provide” umpires?

The fact women aren’t umpiring (yet) may have something to do with the fact most of the current women players aged 22+ were told they had to stop playing footy at the age of 14. So they were lost to the game as active participants.

Many in the usual male umpiring age bracket of 30+ have kids they look after while the husbands get the weekend off.

Or are you suggesting they suddenly flip the traditional weekend parenting roles, grab a whistle and tell the hubby he is looking after the kids in a Saturday afternoon?

 

[bedford]

Why do the women have to “provide” umpires?

The fact women aren’t umpiring (yet) may have something to do with the fact most of the current women players aged 22+ were told they had to stop playing footy at the age of 14. So they were lost to the game as active participants.

Many in the usual male umpiring age bracket of 30+ have kids they look after while the husbands get the weekend off.

Or are you suggesting they suddenly flip the traditional weekend parenting roles, grab a whistle and tell the hubby he is looking after the kids in a Saturday afternoon?

But why should mens comps suffer , they grew

 

[HedgeFund]

But why should mens comps suffer , they grew

…..because the women who know a heap about the rules of football and are passionate about the game don’t want to umpire yet.

They’re still busy playing (and making up for lost time).

 

[Max Leader]

…..because the women who know a heap about the rules of football and are passionate about the game don’t want to umpire yet.

They’re still busy playing (and making up for lost time).

It doesn’t need to be women umpiring, but the woman’s team need to bring resources to the comp instead of taking resources. It’s only fair.

 

[Over The Post]

fact most of the current women players aged 22+ were told they had to stop playing footy at the age of 14. So they were lost to the game as active participants.

Yup. Old Westbourne juniors had an absolute pocket rocket, she was one of our best players from U9 to U14 when she was no longer allowed to play. Sucked bigtime as there was nowhere for her to go.

 

[HedgeFund]

It doesn’t need to be women umpiring, but the woman’s team need to bring resources to the comp instead of taking resources. It’s only fair.

Solid us -v- them vibes in this perspective.

As if you view the woman’s team as a burden or an inconvenience to the….men in the club.

I can’t help you with that.

 

[HedgeFund]

Yup. Old Westbourne juniors had an absolute pocket rocket, she was one of our best players from U9 to U14 when she was no longer allowed to play. Sucked bigtime as there was nowhere for her to go.

This is one significant part of my point. The women want to play (which is great). Many of them were denied the right to play unless they stepped up 5 years in an instant and started playing as 14 year olds against grown women.

The current players can’t just snap their fingers and conjure up female umpires or male umpires who didn’t want to umpire men’s football but to suddenly are happy to umpire women’s footy.

It’s a ridiculous position to take, and completely disregards that women are growing into loving the game, and the umpires they should apparently supply will be another 5 - 10 years away.

Was there a point at which you suddenly told the u19 boys they have to find their own umpires?

 

[bedford]

This is one significant part of my point. The women want to play (which is great). Many of them were denied the right to play unless they stepped up 5 years in an instant and started playing as 14 year olds against grown women.

The current players can’t just snap their fingers and conjure up female umpires or male umpires who didn’t want to umpire men’s football but to suddenly are happy to umpire women’s footy.

It’s a ridiculous position to take, and completely disregards that women are growing into loving the game, and the umpires they should apparently supply will be another 5 - 10 years away.

Was there a point at which you suddenly told the u19 boys they have to find their own umpires?

I said they have grown quick , but i still don't see why they can't get goal umps at least .

 

[Over The Post]

I umpired two womens games last Sunday, and I've got another two this weekend...

 

[bedford]

I umpired two womens games last Sunday, and I've got another two this weekend...

I think some are taking this the wrong way , i have nothing against girls footy , it's just in the ammo's it's grown too quick and it's affecting men's footy .
I really don't see why old boys teams that have no female students should have teams . All it is is greed .

 

[zeroseven]

I think some are taking this the wrong way , i have nothing against girls footy , it's just in the ammo's it's grown too quick and it's affecting men's footy .
I really don't see why old boys teams that have no female students should have teams . All it is is greed .

Bedrock has lost it completely - tipping your over 70 now.