Umpire’s balance awry

Having seen more than half of the first two rounds’ games live or on TV, AussieRulesBlog’s considered opinion is that umpiring interpretations are out of balance — too many incidental contacts being free kicked, too many similar incidental contacts being either missed or let go.

 

And then, last night on Foxtel, we watched Chooseday Night Football. The game was the round 6, 1993 game between Geelong and Essendon. This memorable game, won by the Bombers to the tune of four goals, featured Gary Ablett Snr and Paul Salmon as the full forwards. Ablett bagged 14 goals from 20-odd kicks and Salmon kicked 10.

 

The game was in the two-umpire era and featured two of the competitions most experienced whistle-blowers at the time, Peter Cameron and John Russo.

 

Two things were noticeable around the dazzling display of Ablett: the “controlling” umpires were much further from the ball than we’re used to in 2012; and the commentary (Peter “Each of two” Landy, Ian Robertson and Gerard Healey) focused heavily, and not positively, on the number of free kicks paid for incidental contacts.

 

Not much, it seems, has changed! Free kicks for incidental contact remain a blight, at least from a spectator perspective, and 2012 has seen a significant increase in umpiring decisions made at longer distances from the ball.

 

Thankfully the Giesch has spared us the “we’re going to crack down on x” strategy leading into 2012. Instead, every rule is being interpreted enormously strictly it seems. Notably, the interpretation that pays a free kick when a marking player’s arm is swept away preventing him from clutching the ball with two hands has morphed into a free kick for merely brushing that player’s arms. This interpretation is umpiring defenders out of the game.

 

Hopefully, as has been the case in recent years, interpretations will be relaxed as the season unfolds and we’ll see some more sympathetic approaches emerging.