Footy officialdom out of touch

Umpires and tribunals are a necessary part of our game. Without them, the game we Aussie Rules aficionados love would be little more than a brawl in a paddock. So, with that responsibility, it’s verging on disastrous that footy officialdom is so out of touch with practical reality.

 

Few would argue that the out of bounds on the full and deliberate out of bounds rules have generally improved the game as a spectacle. Few also would argue that there are countless occasions in each game where players ‘deliberately’ take the ball over the boundary line where there is no practical means for them to stop or otherwise keep the ball in play.

 

Jeff Gieschen’s spin on the Montagna kick last Thursday is as pure an example as could be imagined of defending the indefensible. If that kick is penalised, then every player who crosses the boundary while ‘fumbling’ the ball must also be penalised.

 

To add to the AFL’s woes, the MRP decides that Matthew Scarlett’s headcrashing elbow is a "legitimate spoiling action" that caused "accidental" high contact. For goodness sake! The only accidental contact was the contact Scarlett made with the ball!

 

Worse, the MRP’s analysis of Scarlett’s actions brings into question the whole rationale for free kicks paid for incidental contact. Surely these too should be deemed “accidental” and free of penalty?

 

Both the MRP and the umpiring department have utterly lost the confidence of the paying customer. The game may appear to be healthy after a bumper round of tight and interesting games, but umpiring and tribunal decisions that defy common logic risk the game’s ongoing health.

 

Release the Giesch!!!  . . .and the MRP!