i saw the worst decision by an umpire of all time today

[dedja]

it was a free for holding the man that the eagles got where everyone around me all thought the same it was an f.a.d. that should have gone the other way because it was the eagles playing pulling the sturt player down after his kick....the umpire hesitated three times before giving the free & it was WRONG & CLEARLY WRONG & as i said it was the worst decision i've ever seen

That's a big call bayman, worst decision you've ever seen in the 10,000 odd games you've been to?

oh it was mate, usually while you may not agree with a decision for various reasons like ''but he was in front'' or ''that was soft'' etc etc, this decision was just clearly WRONG & as i said the umpire hesitated 3 times before finally blowing his whistle so to start with he wasn't sure either

I was out back grabbing a couple of beers in the last quarter of that game but I recorded it so I'll have a look sometime ... unfortunately I recorded both games today so I'm not sure I'm up to watching the 2nd game while the wounds haven't healed yet.

[FlyingHigh]

it was a free for holding the man that the eagles got where everyone around me all thought the same it was an f.a.d. that should have gone the other way because it was the eagles playing pulling the sturt player down after his kick....the umpire hesitated three times before giving the free & it was WRONG & CLEARLY WRONG & as i said it was the worst decision i've ever seen

That's a big call bayman, worst decision you've ever seen in the 10,000 odd games you've been to?

oh it was mate, usually while you may not agree with a decision for various reasons like ''but he was in front'' or ''that was soft'' etc etc, this decision was just clearly WRONG & as i said the umpire hesitated 3 times before finally blowing his whistle so to start with he wasn't sure either

Reckon the Sturt player handballed to nearby team-mate and then Rimmington went to tackle him. Was watching the ball then heard the whistle and thought Rimmington must have done something undiscipline.

[bayman]

your getting mixed up fh,

[Columbo]

it was a free for holding the man that the eagles got where everyone around me all thought the same it was an f.a.d. that should have gone the other way because it was the eagles playing pulling the sturt player down after his kick....the umpire hesitated three times before giving the free & it was WRONG & CLEARLY WRONG & as i said it was the worst decision i've ever seen

That's a big call bayman, worst decision you've ever seen in the 10,000 odd games you've been to?

oh it was mate, usually while you may not agree with a decision for various reasons like ''but he was in front'' or ''that was soft'' etc etc, this decision was just clearly WRONG & as i said the umpire hesitated 3 times before finally blowing his whistle so to start with he wasn't sure either

Reckon the Sturt player handballed to nearby team-mate and then Rimmington went to tackle him. Was watching the ball then heard the whistle and thought Rimmington must have done something undiscipline.

He did....just that the umpire didnt see it that way!!! If we are thinking of the same incident

[FlyingHigh]

your getting mixed up fh,

This one was members side, Eagles half-forward line.
Can't believe there was a worse one And we were on the good side of both of them
FWIW, you musn't have seen Jimmy Allan's "handball" (caber-toss) and got a holding the man to get North's first goal last week.

[purch]

it was in the first semi final

The "holding-the-man" the Eagles got on their half forward line in the last when Sturt had the ball?

Although I could make it sound like we got the rough end of the stick*, I do recall a free in the last in our forward line which I could not work out at all.

I could make the same case for us, esp. in the last qtr...and that one stands out like dogs balls. Utter disgrace...

Made a few of us look at each other and say "here we go again". The umpiring in both games today was deplorable. I still can't believe that 25 that was given in the last qtr of the second game...

[purch]

p.s. I never really felt comfortable before the game knowing Dey and Rowston were officiating. At one point it felt like they were trying their darndest to ensure we lost...but admittedly our second half was rubbish and we were 2nd to the ball too many times.

[Rucciangelo]

Pretty sure it was TONY DEY who gave that deplorable free. The ball movement was too quick for him to interpret and the Eagles player...f.f.s. they gave you blokes at least 4 goals that were pi5s week soft charity keep you in the game frees.
Expect a whole pile of letters and emails this week Shane Harris. Protect the players going in for the hard balls, or is that too difficult to interpret? So they take the easy option and reward soft, insipid frees that are 50/50 in one on one contests.
Weak, pathetic, insipid, deplorable!!!

[Grahaml]

The only problem with registering complaints is that 99% of the time 99% of the fans are just clearly wrong with their belief with what should have happened. Given most fans think Richard Williams always screws their club every time you must find it strange that nobody then says "gee, ol' dicky was great for us today!".

Perhaps I'll just say if you normally think you get the rough end of umpiring decisions then you really aren't a great judge. But if you're in that group of 2 or 3 that think unpires are normally even but make the odd decision you think was tight and perhaps a couple of times a season make one you really thought was just wrong then Shane Harris might be able to take you seriously.

Dogs fans were crying blue murdur today for most of the game, and no doubt we gave away more than we got. Conversely most bays fans will say the umps missed more they should have got and penalised then more often than was waranted. But the umps were pretty even with their interpretation all day IMHO. There were many I though could have gone our way, and others I thought we were unlucky to be done for but I thought it was all fair. I do, however have one bug bear, and that's the in the back when a player is diving forward for the ball and someone's either tackling them or also going for the ball. I just think the game would be better if they weren't so hot on that one. It needs (IMHO) to be at a point where a player can't dive forward and drag a tackler forward with them to get a free kick. Only thing I would want to change in SANFL as I think the balance of all other rules is great.

[purch]

I do, however have one bug bear, and that's the in the back when a player is diving forward for the ball and someone's either tackling them or also going for the ball. I just think the game would be better if they weren't so hot on that one. It needs (IMHO) to be at a point where a player can't dive forward and drag a tackler forward with them to get a free kick.

Grahaml, I agree wholeheartedly on that. It is a blight on the game...kudos to the bloke diving on the ball and showing intent, but when he already has forward momentum or is already about to buckle at the knees then it's so easy to "milk it". And there's one team that knows how to do that better than any other.

[Tiger Couple]

The free being spoken about happened right in front of me and was verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy soft but was coorect. Blues player handballs, Eagles player is tacklingm then in trying to milk free kick sturt players dragged Eagles player down by the jumper to make it look like the Eagles player dumped him after he got rid of it.

When Dey first blew his whistle he was going to pay down field then realised who was holding and looked puzzled and then pointed the Eagles way. Was a terrible decision as it had no impact on the game and was one of those that an umpire with common sense would let go, or an umpire that likes to be the centre of attention pays and Mr Dey paid it. He must like the attention.

[bayman]

it wasn't dey that paid the free i'm referring to

[Mickyj]

A very big call bayman.
The mark paid to a bays player that hit a player in the back at woodville earlier in the year was worse IMHO.
Now are u talking about the Rimington free or the out of bounds on the full after the ball hit the Sturt runner.

I saw the one Columbo was talking about at city mazda on saturday. Plus when the umpire fell over his own feet and blamed an eagles trainer and paid a free against the eagles.Clearly he had sideshow bob feet and fell over them

[topsywaldron]

Perhaps I'll just say if you normally think you get the rough end of umpiring decisions then you really aren't a great judge. But if you're in that group of 2 or 3 that think unpires are normally even but make the odd decision you think was tight and perhaps a couple of times a season make one you really thought was just wrong then Shane Harris might be able to take you seriously.

Could you be any more pleased with yourself if you tried?

IMHO the SANFL has gone too far with not paying holding the ball, far too many times teams with inferior skills can just kill a contest by throwing themselves on top of the ball knowing the ump won't penalise them. We saw this at the death knell of the second semi and the qualifying final. Whilst I don't believe in the hair trigger holding the ball decisions the AFL seems to favour somewhere between the two would deliver a better spectacle for the SANFL.

[FlyingHigh]

Now are u talking about the Rimington free or the out of bounds on the full after the ball hit the Sturt runner.

Sounds like I was thinking of a different one to Bayman, but then thought maybe it was this one he thought of too in the last minute of the game. Don't think I've ever seen that happen before.

[redandblack]

Perhaps I'll just say if you normally think you get the rough end of umpiring decisions then you really aren't a great judge. But if you're in that group of 2 or 3 that think unpires are normally even but make the odd decision you think was tight and perhaps a couple of times a season make one you really thought was just wrong then Shane Harris might be able to take you seriously.

Could you be any more pleased with yourself if you tried?

IMHO the SANFL has gone too far with not paying holding the ball, far too many times teams with inferior skills can just kill a contest by throwing themselves on top of the ball knowing the ump won't penalise them. We saw this at the death knell of the second semi and the qualifying final. Whilst I don't believe in the hair trigger holding the ball decisions the AFL seems to favour somewhere between the two would deliver a better spectacle for the SANFL.

I agree with all of that, topsy

I applaud the SANFL umpiring directive to protect the man in front and going for the ball, but they don't know where to draw the line between protection and common-sense.

[doggies4eva]

I posted a detailed explanation under the game review thread, but I thought that the ducking/too high interpretation was confusing and inconsistant and resulted in players ducking their head to try and milk a free.

Very dangerous for the safety of players!

[finn]

what about the hargreave (bulldogs) one on friday night where he kicked the ball and still got pinged for holding the ball?

[Dogwatcher]

I posted a detailed explanation under the game review thread, but I thought that the ducking/too high interpretation was confusing and inconsistant and resulted in players ducking their head to try and milk a free.

Very dangerous for the safety of players!

Doggies - I didn't think it was confusing at all. It seemed if you ducked your head knowing contact was imminent, you'd get a free. Both sides got 'em. It was very AFL umpiring.

[topcat10]

I do recall a free in the last in our forward line which I could not work out at all.

it was a free for holding the man that the eagles got where everyone around me all thought the same it was an f.a.d. that should have gone the other way because it was the eagles playing pulling the sturt player down after his kick....the umpire hesitated three times before giving the free & it was WRONG & CLEARLY WRONG & as i said it was the worst decision i've ever seen

That's the one.

Kick should have gone to Fittock-he put his arms out to take the ball and the umpire said the free was AGAINST him-nobody knew what was happening least of all the umpire.I am sick of umpires guessing free kicks-are any of them held accountable for their performances? Seems not to me