Umpires return to form

AussieRulesBlog was hoping the umpires would avoid their traditional rush to over-officiating at the start of the season. The first three games seem to have produced a rather mixed bag.

 

The Essendon-West Coast game, which we watched on TV in its entirety, was notable for the absence of influence from the umpires, apart from the goal that hit the goalie’s leg before hitting the post (more about this later).

 

We didn’t see much of the pre-Showdown game so can’t comment on that, but the game in Launceston provided so many of those head shaking moments that it can’t be let alone.

 

The television commentary team — and Matthew Lloyd was surprisingly good, we thought — were simply nonplussed at times. Even with the benefit of direct audio feed from the whistleblowers, they were often at a loss to understand why a free kick had been paid.

 

In one standout incident, a free was paid to Hodge for being held as he was tracking toward the contest. The replay revealed his opponent’s arm brushed Hodge’s arm as he ran past! Rather than basing a decision on what he saw, this umpire had assumed. It’s a continuing trait of the Gieschen-led umpiring department that such decision-making processes are not uncommon at the elite level of our game. Notwithstanding Richmond’s  being massively out-classed and therefore more likely to be holding to restrain opponents, the umpires must see the holding before paying the free kick. It cannot be guessed at.

 

It’s worth noting too that the modified advantage rule has seemed, thus far at least, to be a sensible addition. The players, especially defenders, seem to have a sense of certainty that hasn’t been there in years past.