It seems like there may be only two people who aren’t enjoying the way the game is being umpired. Well, two with a public forum anyway.

Kevin Bartlett and Patrick Smith seem fixated on the game being umpired to the exact letter of the law, splitting hairs on the placement of commas and counting the angels dancing on every full stop.

For the rest of us, the game is flowing and the annoying 50-50 free kicks that annoyed almost everybody have been consigned to the dustbin. Obvious free kicks are being awarded (when they’re seen) and the game is a better spectacle for it.

Congratulations Wayne Campbell and Hayden Kennedy, and good riddance Jeff Gieschen.

Apparently Taylor Hunt is unlucky for being suspended for bumping Daniel Rich and initiating a head clash. It seems he was only “shepherding”.

AussieRulesBlog is no spring chicken, but when we were learning the game, a “shepherd” meant spreading your arms and trying to hold an opponent away from a teammate who had the ball.

What Hunt did was to pick off an unprepared opponent who didn’t have the ball and wasn’t in a position to intercept. It doesn’t matter how close the ball was. This is not a shepherd. It’s sniping. It’s cowardly. End of story.