Video ostriches

Speaking on AFL 360 tonight on Foxtel’s Fox Footy channel, AFL Football Operations boss Adrian Anderson claimed the lack of goal line cameras to use in video decision referral  during the pre-season competition was the broadcaster’s issue, because the AFL would not fund goal-line cameras.

 

This just gets worse and worse for Anderson. The decision to proceed with a trial of goal umpiring video referral knowing there would be no goal line cameras just beggars belief. That the AFL will not pay for the required cameras suggests that either they’re not serious or they’re playing games

 

Anderson further claimed that the final referral in Sunday’s Port-Adelaide-Carlton game where the replay showed a ball hitting the behind post vindicated the trial. He failed to mention that a ball on a slightly different trajectory hitting the post may not have been so clearly seen brushing the post. On this occasion, the camera was in the perfect location. So much for vindication.

 

Anderson also drew comparisons with tennis and cricket where assistive technologies are not available at every venue or in every series. While true, it’s hardly the point. Cricket doesn’t, for instance, use a camera at deep extra cover or third man — where the camera is a 45° to the batting crease — to judge runouts. When there is a camera for runouts, it’s located right on the plane of the batting crease.

 

Anderson claimed that only six goal umpiring errors were made in 2011. The evidence of 2012 thus far suggests that Gieschen and Anderson are kidding themselves with their figure of one tenth of one percent error rate.  In one ‘round’ of six games in 2012, we’ve had at least three errors. that leaves only three more for the rest of the season. . .

 

Most likely, like Lewis Carroll’s Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland, Gieschen and Anderson decide what ‘error’ means and you can bet your life it’s not a definition you’ll recognise. Ostriches!