Is afl corrupt or are the umpires that bad at their jobs?

[Ringo]

Agree Collie - Just wondering whether it is just me or not but appears that every year the umpiring seems to get worse in the latter half of the season. Just from a personal observation over the last few years,

Makes me wonder whether umpires start to loose their concentration as the season goes on as a result of the constant pressure associated with umpiring. Maybe the league needs to ensure that there is a fair rotation of umpires to ensure that they all have adequate rests during the season to reinvigorate the mind.

maybe this issue will be resolved if umpires were full time professionals.

[BB67th]

Agree with you guys, the first thing that needs to be done is umpires need to be full time. I can't think of another major league sport in the world where the umpires aren't full time. Then work through the rules and clear up all interpretations of them so we can get them right. And people need to stop laying into them every week, they make mistakes sometimes!

[Shaggy]

Once again, tissue guys?

[johno71]

I'd hate to think the AFL is corrupt. However the umpires won Hawthorn the game over Adelaide Prelim. And watching the game again the half a dozen decisions could not have just been mistakes. They were way to obvious and you would think that the umps they use for these games would be the best and not make obvious mistakes and really bad decisions that change the result of the game. The AFL did not want  a Adelaide v Sydney GF. This is meant to be a true national comp now. Let's start putting the game and sportsmanship before money for a change.

[kilbluff1985]

i don't think it's corrupt but i do believe some players find it much easier to get free kicks then others the high profile ones like Mitchell, Watson, Swan, Judd the list goes on anything done to the high profile players for sure they get a free but if it happened to i dunno a rookie player it might not get given, just something i have noticed

[Sliam]

i don't think it's corrupt but i do believe some players find it much easier to get free kicks then others the high profile ones like Mitchell, Watson, Swan, Judd the list goes on anything done to the high profile players for sure they get a free but if it happened to i dunno a rookie player it might not get given, just something i have noticed

That's because those people put themselves in situations that others won't to win the football. it's one of the reasons that we call these people great champions of the game.

However others use it as an excuse to put conspiracy and criticise players and umpires.

I hate Ray Chamberlain as much as the next Sydney fan but he doesn't purposely make decisons against us. He'll still give the odd contentious or iffy free kick to Sydney.

Also Mitchell, watson, Judd, kerr = inside midfielders = More chance of a free kick. Believe me they give plenty of free kicks away too.

[kilbluff1985]

i agree a bit with you but i'm saying if the exact same thing happens to a Judd then to a rookie the rookie might not always get the free but Judd will

[Sliam]

i agree a bit with you but i'm saying if the exact same thing happens to a Judd then to a rookie the rookie might not always get the free but Judd will

Not sure. i think spectators will notice a free kick given to Judd a lot more than a free kick given to say Aley Johnson (just random sydney player) for example.  But yes the umpires may also notice a Judd moreso than a Johnson but I feel it's more the prerceived pressure that we as fans put on the umpires decisons.

Except Ray Chamberlain, he sucks

[Tominator]

Shane McInerney and another umpire (bald, forgot his name) no doubt favoured the Hawks in the prelim.. I'm not saying they were the reason we lost, but as soon as Adelaide looked like having a chance of winning they immediately started to favour Hawthorn. As much as the AFL claim it is Australia's game it really is still Victoria's game just with teams from interstate - "a GF is not worth watching without a Victorian team in it" seems to be the current psyche of many Victorians

Very glad Sydney won on the weekend

[elephants]

Just saying.....

At Subi:
Eagles get WA based umpires
Dockers get Vic based umpires

Just saying.....

Nawww

[Justin Bieber]

Just saying.....

At Subi:
Eagles get WA based umpires
Dockers get Vic based umpires

Just saying.....

Nawww

That's cute lol.

[quinny88]

This is ridiculous. The umpiring isnt corrupt, they are humans, they make mistakes, they are sucked in to crowd excitement. If a tackle is layed in front of a home crowd of 50,000 people and they all scream "BALLL" it is human nature to be caught up and see it as holding the ball where as if it happened to a team with a couple of hundred supporters there that make no noise they are more likely to not get caught up and make a correct decision.

It deffinetly does Not have anything to do with "vic umpires" and "interstate umpires" or favouring certain clubs, thats just rubbish. This only feels like it happens because crowd influences umpires on some calls.
Good teams tend to get more free kicks because they are better teams, simple as that. They tackle better, they put there head over the ball harder, they are first to the ball.

make umpires full time, train them as best we can and accept that mistakes will always be made. It is the hardest game in the world to umpire

[elephants]

This is ridiculous. The umpiring isnt corrupt, they are humans, they make mistakes, they are sucked in to crowd excitement. If a tackle is layed in front of a home crowd of 50,000 people and they all scream "BALLL" it is human nature to be caught up and see it as holding the ball where as if it happened to a team with a couple of hundred supporters there that make no noise they are more likely to not get caught up and make a correct decision.

It deffinetly does Not have anything to do with "vic umpires" and "interstate umpires" or favouring certain clubs, thats just rubbish. This only feels like it happens because crowd influences umpires on some calls.
Good teams tend to get more free kicks because they are better teams, simple as that. They tackle better, they put there head over the ball harder, they are first to the ball.

make umpires full time, train them as best we can and accept that mistakes will always be made. It is the hardest game in the world to umpire

Couldn't have been put better, perfect.

[Ziplock]

Different AFL teams play differently.

It isn't as if all 18 have the same players or playstyles

Hence, different ratio of free kicks.

playing for frees is a disgusting concept, a blight on the game and its integrity and should be stamped out.

[Tominator]

Different AFL teams play differently.

It isn't as if all 18 have the same players or playstyles

Hence, different ratio of free kicks.

playing for frees is a disgusting concept, a blight on the game and its integrity and should be stamped out.

COUGH COUGH West Coast...