Different rules?

Context is everything, and we didn’t enjoy the Bombers’ game against the Brisbane Lions. One of the things we enjoyed least was the sensation of thinking “That’s a free kick!” as we watched the game and seeing no action from the umpires. And let’s be clear, the umpiring didn’t affect the result of the game!

 

Let’s also be clear that AussieRulesBlog is not one of those demented morons who wants every contest to result in a free kick to our team. There were just as many free kicks missed for the Lions as for the Bombers.

 

Contrast the afternoon game with watching the Barcodes–Geelong game on TV. It was hard to believe it was the same sport, being played in the same city, on the same weekend, with the same rule book.

 

And just to add some extra spice, Friday night’s game seemed to have some crucial changes of interpretation late in the game.

 

Players are confused! Fans are confused! Coaches are confused and bemused, and gagged.

 

This is not a rant about umpires. It’s about the system they’re operating within.

 

Despite there being twenty-seven individuals umpiring elite AFL games every weekend, we simply can’t have twenty-seven individual interpretations, or interpretations that fluctuate wildly during a match!

 

In this context, we don’t care if the rule or interpretation is a bad one, as long as it is the same every game, every week, for the length of the season.

 

Jeff Gieschen may think he can con us by just telling us that nothing changes from week to week, but our eyes tell us something quite different.

 

There are two problems as we see it. The rules, and the interpretations of them, have become over-complicated. Second, the interpretations or the application of the rules and interpretations keep changing. The umpiring in Round 8 is not the same as the umpiring in Round 2. This cannot be allowed to continue.

 

Release the Giesch and save the game!