Round 4: the root canal games.

[TigerForce]

Won't happen. He'll toe the company line like they all do

"Oh, you'd have to ask the umpires". This bloke speaks like a nervous 10 year old facing the principal.

Just like Dimma, backed the flogs' hard working.....geez.

 

[WesternTiger]

At Gather Round. Carlton v Freo game has to be the Shitest game I’ve ever seen live. Glad I didn’t pay for the ticket!

 

[Sintiger]

I don’t know what was said to the umpires but I hope that it was sufficiently bad to warrant that decision.
I am a believer that umpires need to have a feel for the game and the circumstances and to understand that footballers aren’t robots.
Really big penalties like that need to have justification

 

[WesternTiger]

The umpires played their part but that was terrible game management by Freo with 4 minutes to go. Leading by 10 and still putting speed on the ball, not holding possession.

Yep. Completely *smile* the bed

 

[TigerForce]

I watched the 2nd half of the Purple Blues V Cartoon and, not for the first time, the match was just continually determined by dubious and, in my eyes, soft free kicks. Both teams were gifted these, and in a grinding, fairly tedious match with very few bursts of flowing, creative play. Yep, cue the 'war of attrition' or 'like watching paint dry' cliches.

But if you didn't do something miraculous with the ball in a split-second playing down back you were pinged unmercifully for an easy opposition shot at goal from near directly in front 15-25m out. The ridiculous inconsistency of what constitutes 'prior opportunity' is just a blight on the game. IMHO, historically, and in essence, these free kicks are often not in the tradition or spirit of the game period. Goals in the true spirit of the game were earned by great marking, team-play or individual brilliance from Royce Hart to Eddie Betts.

Now, if you're smart, you just wait to pounce on an opponent that has to attempt to take possession in order to clear the ball from defence. You can even knock it out of their hands but, under these absurd modern rules, if he's arbitrated by this modern iteration of what goes for rules and umpiring you get an easy goal kick. Sometimes a player is called for HTB after taking possession for a slit-second; but often it's arbitrated as a ball-up. The umpires are the gods of the game now and they decide so much about results.

This game is another was determined by umpires. Most games now are heavily affected by these arbitrary, inconsistent and all-powerful decisions - don't dare dispute the power of the AFL's officials. Players are expected to behave like complacent choir-boys, totally unlike previous generations of AFL players who were given far more scope to dispute or vent, because used to understand them and the difficulties and stresses of playing this game.

Not for one moment do I think there was bias to either team; it was about the umps running the game their way, no matter what - determining the outcome with their excessive powers. The first thing players learn and are trained to do is they must gain possession of the ball. But one free awarded to Freo was for a Bloos player who did, as the carge-sheet says, 'drag the ball in' - instead of knocking it out for maybe a quick possession and goal for Freo. He then tunnelled the ball out behind himself, ot it ended up there, but this is still defined as in possession and penalised for a soft goal. Hasn't he actually got it out from under himself, no longer in possession. It's often absurd the decisions made.

Then, at the end, a most likely touched ball is determined to be play-on for a Bloos' goal with no review. That was the game, but another goal gifted for dissent. Just to confirm who is in charge of the game. Who are the game's all-powerful controllers and determiners (on behalf of the AFL and the totalitarian code of rules and penalties implemented over the Gil and Shocking era of power.

I can't believe fans are going to keep watching, following and paying significant money for this abuse of a true sporting contest. In it's great eras, players' performances, and coaches', determined outcomes far more that this travesty of our true AFL code.

When are people going to wake up and stop paying to go watch the little men in fluorescent-green decide a game that used to be about skill, courage and endeavour rather than a motley set of pathetic 'rules' which has produced more and more repetitive and mundane, same-same games that are their's to control?

Rant over ... but I'm finding it hard to persist following a game I used to think the world's best.

Agree leon.

 

[craig]

Van der Meer jibs it ..........................

 

[CarnTheTiges]

I don’t know what was said to the umpires but I hope that it was sufficiently bad to warrant that decision.
I am a believer that umpires need to have a feel for the game and the circumstances and to understand that footballers aren’t robots.
Really big penalties like that need to have justification

As they said when this whole dissent thing started, it’s up to the individual umpire, and what one feels is worthy of a penalty another one might not. It’s a joke.

 

[BluesBloke]

I'll take it.

 

[AstuteTiger]

Freo won the free kick count 16-12. The touch wasn't obvious and can't be reviewed. There should have been a 50 for dissent to Cottrell.

Freo handed the game to the blue.

Who cares who won the free kick count when the Umps handed the game to Carlton

Not obvious, it was as obvious as day turns to night.

Watch this video and tell me if you can't see the deflection. Not only that all commentary have stated it was touched.

3 goals from Frees in the last quarter alone to Carlton.

Clear as day robbery. https://x.com/DizzyT801/status/1776531524005019886

 

[Rfc4Ever]

Dogs getting reamed from the umps thus far

 

[fastin bulbous]

Very Richmond like loss to the dockers. I feel for them. Their only crime was working their asses off all day and not chucking and ducking like the scum. No wonder they get fed up with crap umpires and do something stupid.

 

[Rfc4Ever]

7 Cats frees to 2

 

[leon]

I'll take it.

Sure you will. But it's folly to rely on umpires for wins. Which you probably saw in that close losing final last year - was it to the skunks? The umps' faves in 2023 at least.

 

[AstuteTiger]

 

[craig]

Soldo clan on roaming Brian a perfect example

Yep.

Nothing as pathetic as "ahem" so called mature adults acting like 10 year olds trying to edge their way into the shot.

 

[WesternTiger]

Very Richmond like loss to the dockers. I feel for them. Their only crime was working their asses off all day and not chucking and ducking like the scum. No wonder they get fed up with crap umpires and do something stupid.

Meh. A freo lost does improve our draft pick.

 

[craig]

Jamara has been weak as *smile* tonight .............. not getting near it.

 

[craig]

Soon as I say it he finally gets it.

 

[leon]

7 Cats frees to 2

Yep. Moggies get such generous interpretations. Dogs' player pinged for a kick that was deemed Insuff. Intent. Shortly after DeKoning punches it out diving low near the boundary and Koladsjizzni kicks it over in the back pocket. All good.

 

[Redford]

Yep. Moggies get such generous interpretations. Dogs' player pinged for a kick that was deemed Insuff. Intent. Shortly after DeKoning punches it out diving low near the boundary and Koladsjizzni kicks it over in the back pocket. All good.

Maybe tonight, but I think you’ll find over the last 6 or 7 years the Throwdogs have had an amazing run (to put it politely) from the umpires.

I’m not crying tears for the Throwdogs.