What is going on with the SANFL umpiring?

[HeartBeatsTrue]

I'd agree Wedgie, but with one notable exception I saw in the Chappell Bar today.......R Williams.

IMHO Richard Williams is easily the best umpire in the league but I know there's a lot of people that disagree with me.

I still blame Peter "Pubes" Williams for giving him a bad name and I ran out of fingers for the amount of times Ive been at a footy game with spectators abusing Richard when he's not even umpiring that game, it's quite amazing!

Agree with Wedgie on this one. Richard Williams easily the best in games I've seen.

[JK]

Saw pretty much of all of the first game and a bit of the second, both on the box, and would have to agree that it was over-umpired ... The tempo stepped up and the physical intensity of all 4 teams was a joy to watch, but unfortunately the umpires didn't seem to react to the occasion appropriately imho.

That said, I heard plenty of groans from the crowd at decisions which I think you'll find were there when/if you watch the replay, but unfortunately there were some bad clangers in amongst the correct calls.

[Blue Boy]

Some given some not - just so frustrating to watch it !!!

[MightyEagles]

I'd agree Wedgie, but with one notable exception I saw in the Chappell Bar today.......R Williams.

IMHO Richard Williams is easily the best umpire in the league but I know there's a lot of people that disagree with me.

I still blame Peter "Pubes" Williams for giving him a bad name and I ran out of fingers for the amount of times Ive been at a footy game with spectators abusing Richard when he's not even umpiring that game, it's quite amazing!

All people see is the name Williams and think that it's Richard Williams. It's called a budget people, read it.

[phantom57]

Umpires are a necessary evil.......and believe me yesterdays performance further endorses that they are "clueless" and have no understanding of footy being a "contact sport". Perhaps the SANFL can use the "netball model" and put bibs on the umpires with the letters "DH".......

[youngster]

As a neutral observer of the second game, I think the criticism is unfounded.

Both sides played tough football, but the umpires paid 'contact' consistently against both the Thunderbirds and the Swifts.

lol...

[MagareyLegend]

You should've seen the U17s final. Exciting young football talent ruined by emabarassing young umpiring talent. An absolute joke.

[GWW]

Its probably been mentioned here somewhere, but couldn't find any reference to it after having a quick look....Warren Partland ripped into the standard of umpiring in his article in relation to the Sturt/Glenelg game. Never seen a journo rip into umpires like he did in this particular article.

[Cambridge Clarrie]

Its probably been mentioned here somewhere, but couldn't find any reference to it after having a quick look....Warren Partland ripped into the standard of umpiring in his article in relation to the Sturt/Glenelg game. Never seen a journo rip into umpires like he did in this particular article.

Was certainly warranted.

[Rucciangelo]

Its probably been mentioned here somewhere, but couldn't find any reference to it after having a quick look....Warren Partland ripped into the standard of umpiring in his article in relation to the Sturt/Glenelg game. Never seen a journo rip into umpires like he did in this particular article.

The umpires for the Sturt v Glenelg game were the best I've see all year. Don't know what Warren Partland is going on about really...(pigs ar5e)!

[rod_rooster]

Geez he didn't hold back there at all. That's as big a spray directed at umpires as you're likely to see in the media.

[Ecky]

Regardless of the standard of umpiring, it doesn't deserve to be featured so heavily in both Partland's articles.
Surely the performance of the players is much more important - if you are going to criticise the umpires for all their mistakes, that much emphasis should also be placed on the players for every time they kicked straight to the opposition etc.

It does nothing to help the standard of umpiring when they are humiliated so publically - that sort of article only makes the standard of umpiring worse, as it would only turn off anyone looking at going into an umpiring career.

Very disappointing piece of journalism, Warren Partland.

[smac]

I disagree Ecky. If it were a one off performance then I would agree.

But Rowston has been doing the umpiring ranks a dis-service for the whole season (and longer) and it has gone unmentioned in the paper for that time.

If a player were crap for about 5 weeks and kept getting a game, a similar article would be put forward about them. Rowston got off lightly IMO.

[Ecky]

If Rowston was truly that bad he would have been dropped by now. It is easy to criticise, but there are always going to be many times, especially in wet, scrappy games where there are 50-50 decisions and the umpire is in a no-win situation as half the crowd starts abusing them regardless of which decision they make. Even in 90-10 decisions, they are going to get it "wrong" in one out of every 10 times.

All supporters/journalists need to have more understanding of the difficulty the umpires face and that it is impossible for them not to make some mistakes, just like the players all make mistakes during the game!

[JK]

I agree and disagree Ecky ... Wouldn't ensuring the umpires are free from public scrutiny effectively make them unaccountable in public circles - A situation in which they are highly unlikely to address any inadequecies?

Also ensures that those umpires aspiring to officiate at that high a level are under no illusions as to how much of a microscope their performance will appear under.

If we are to praise umpires, as we do players for their performance, they must also be prepared to face the scrutiny for lack of performance when applicable imho.

[smac]

Umpires get a good run before being dropped - takes at least 10 weeks, usually a full season (at the higher levels).

I have a family friend who umpired 300+ league games, my brother umpired SANFL (not league, but close) and I have 2 cousins who umpire amateur leage and junior footy. I have been and watched them as umpires (as opposed to going to watch the footy) and appreciate everything they do. I also appreciate that they cop it regardless of how well they perform.

But if you're consistently not very good at it, sooner or later someone will write an article like the one we have seen today.

[Ecky]

I know what you are saying guys, but how bad was Rowston???

Has anyone done an objective analysis of his performance? I am sure Warren Partland hasn't! It is easily to get a perception of how the umpires went, but unless you are keeping a record of all their good and bad decisions (as Wedgie was going on about in another thread), I don't think you are in a position to criticise them so strongly, and especially make it the main theme of TWO articles in the Advertiser.

[Blue Boy]

From yesterday the game seem to run freely whilst CR was not in play ( tucked away in a pocket ) and he seems to be the only one really getting any sort of scrutiny !!!

Is there anyway of finding out how many frees were given by each umpire ???

[mighty_tiger_79]

C. Rowston was our best player yesterday!!!!! even when tucked away in the pockets

[JK]

I know what you are saying guys, but how bad was Rowston???

Has anyone done an objective analysis of his performance? I am sure Warren Partland hasn't! It is easily to get a perception of how the umpires went, but unless you are keeping a record of all their good and bad decisions (as Wedgie was going on about in another thread), I don't think you are in a position to criticise them so strongly, and especially make it the main theme of TWO articles in the Advertiser.

Thats a fair call Ecky ... I would be confident that such an assessment of yesterday's performance would produce sub-par results, but you're right, without that FACTUAL analysis for 4 quarter performance it's difficult to add meaning to an opinion.