Umpiring - Riewoldt and Hall

[Jasper]

Saint Nick continues to have frees against him spotted and paid. Hall doesn't, never has. Riewoldt seems to be able to infringe and not have frees paid, if Hall looks at someone the wrong way, a free is paid against him.

The umpiring from the Prelim final still burns and anyone impartial watching that game knows how the umpiring distorted this game. It continues this season, early in the game against North, Riewoldt pushed a player in the throat and had his mark paid. Late in the game against Syndey he received game breaking frees. Riewoldt is clearly a protected species.

I believe with Hall now in our team, the unbalanced umpiring situation will get worse unless the club takes action. While this may seem trivial and people can say, oh if we play well enough everything looks after itself, however I think our club must leave no stone unturned in our search for the premiership, and the umpiring situation needs to be managed.

Proposed Actions

1 - The club quietly monitors and keeps video of all frees paid to Riewoldt this year, while also keeping records of the frees not paid to Hall. Also the club keeps records of free not paid against Reiwoldt, and frees paid against Hall. The club keeps quiet throughout the regular season

2 - The video is spliced with Hall and Riewoldt - showing similar incidents involving frees favouring Riewoldt and not favouring Hall. The statistics of frees for and against for each player scroll at the bottom of the screen for the season (over the season and for their careers)

3 - Assuming we get to the finals, in the week leading up to our first game against the Saints, we release a video This video is submitted to the umpires and all media outlets in the week leading up to our first finals game against the Saints

I suspect the figures and the overt favouritism of Riewoldt and likewise discrimination against Hall would build intolerable pressure on the umpires and hopefully prevent an umpiring outcome like last year. The club needs to get on the front foot and address what is a real imbalance in the competition.

I believe our teams are that close that poor umpiring costing us a couple of goals could cost us victory in a crucial final.

Interested in other people's thoughts...hopefully even someone from the club can take the time to act??

[Sockeye Salmon]

Making the umpires look like idiots 1 week out from the finals is a really bad idea.

[chef]

Saint Nick continues to have frees against him spotted and paid.

There is one way to stop this, Don't bump him in the back.

Easy, fixed.

I don't See the point of doing this, it doesn't effect his game and only leads to him getting a free. Defenders need to be smarter.

[Hotdog60]

Yeah, if your going to bunp him in the back and he falls down make sure you sink the boot in as well.:p;)

[LostDoggy]

There is one way to stop this, Don't bump him in the back.

Easy, fixed.

I don't See the point of doing this, it doesn't effect his game and only leads to him getting a free. Defenders need to be smarter.

Chef, you are being facetious. Players get bumped in the back all the time (didn't St Nick bump Mattner first?), but they don't all fold like a pack of cards, and even if they did, they don't (never, more like) get free kicks.

Also, if you read Kelvinator's post carefully, it also speaks about infringements that Riewoldt carries out that never get penalised (like pushes in the back) -- this is similar to Gazza and Judd never getting called for holding the ball, Selwood never getting pinged for diving on it, or Franklin never called for incorrect disposal. These players get to the point where they play the game with impunity and treat everyone around them disdainfully -- supporters love it because it's their superstars arrogantly striding the field, but distorts the playing field in favour of several individuals and creates massive resentment amongst other paying fans and towards umpires.

We have two players -- Aker and Hall -- that have a somewhat middling reputations off-the-field, and they rarely get frees paid for things others get paid regularly: see the non-payment of the holding off the ball free when Aker was going for the mark in the last play in a game vs. Geelong last year. This will not be fixed anytime soon, but will certainly ensure that umpires will never get the respect they probably deserve and see the trend of 30% of umpires leaving the game at every level every year continue.

[Bulldog4life]

Chef, you are being facetious. Players get bumped in the back all the time (didn't St Nick bump Mattner first?), but they don't all fold like a pack of cards, and even if they did, they don't (never, more like) get free kicks.

We have two players -- Aker and Hall -- that have a somewhat middling reputations off-the-field, and they rarely get frees paid for things others get paid regularly: see the non-payment of the holding off the ball free when Aker was going for the mark in the last play in a game vs. Geelong last year. This will not be fixed anytime soon, but will certainly ensure that umpires will never get the respect they probably deserve and see the trend of 30% of umpires leaving the game at every level every year continue.

Not sure what you mean by this or what it has to do with your overall post. Could you elaborate.

[LostDoggy]

Yesterday at the Richmond game, I and a few other fellow doggies supporters noted the 2 men on Big Barry and found frees which obviously the umpire never saw!

On a sidenote - The free kick given to Hall in the last quarter of the NAB Cup final was quite sweet though! :D

[Doc26]

Apologies for going against the flow here but I'm sideing with Roo. Bryza was stupid doing what he did in the prelim last year as was Mattner last week. Riewoldt is targetted every week by the opposition because for some unfounded reason some see him as a bit fragile probably stemming back to the now infamous Lions match where Michael, Scott and Co targetted his damaged shoulder. He is a ball playing gun who never stops for his team and if he was in the red, white and blue I would expect the umpires to afford him the same protection he gets today. We just have to get better to stop him legitimately.

[AndrewP6]

Well said Kelvinator...pretty much agree with everything you said. The only problem I see with your idea is the timing, I think the club should be proactive in bringing the obvious discrepancies to the Giesch's attention sooner than the finals. I think if the evidence was shown progressively, it would "mount up"...and alas, the morons would probably not change a thing. :(

The way Hall gets infringed upon is so clear, and the way Riewoldt is looked after so clear, it's so frustrating. Kudos to Bazza for keeping his cool (so far)

[chef]

Chef, you are being facetious.

I wasn't trying to be, but that's just the way I see it.

[chef]

Late in the game against Syndey he received game breaking frees. Riewoldt is clearly a protected species.


The free he received for the push in the back from Mattner resulted in a point from Riewoldt. Mattner high tackled Goddard to give him a free about 60 meters from goal and then went over the mark to give away a 50 meter penalty which resulted in a goal.

[LostDoggy]

I find it's always that short little runt, Chamberlin who is always against us.

[G-Mo77]

The free he received for the push in the back from Mattner resulted in a point from Riewoldt. Mattner high tackled Goddard to give him a free about 60 meters from goal and then went over the mark to give away a 50 meter penalty which resulted in a goal.

Off topic but that was a rubbish decision. Godard kept moving towards him, it should have been called play-on right there and then.

I hope we smash these arseholes in Round 6!

[LostDoggy]

Chef, you are being facetious. Players get bumped in the back all the time (didn't St Nick bump Mattner first?), but they don't all fold like a pack of cards, and even if they did, they don't (never, more like) get free kicks.

Also, if you read Kelvinator's post carefully, it also speaks about infringements that Riewoldt carries out that never get penalised (like pushes in the back) -- this is similar to Gazza and Judd never getting called for holding the ball, Selwood never getting pinged for diving on it, or Franklin never called for incorrect disposal. These players get to the point where they play the game with impunity and treat everyone around them disdainfully -- supporters love it because it's their superstars arrogantly striding the field, but distorts the playing field in favour of several individuals and creates massive resentment amongst other paying fans and towards umpires.

We have two players -- Aker and Hall -- that have a somewhat middling reputations off-the-field, and they rarely get frees paid for things others get paid regularly: see the non-payment of the holding off the ball free when Aker was going for the mark in the last play in a game vs. Geelong last year. This will not be fixed anytime soon, but will certainly ensure that umpires will never get the respect they probably deserve and see the trend of 30% of umpires leaving the game at every level every year continue.

This statement is 100 percent TRUE and I absolutly agree with with it. Dont forget Selwood everytime he gets tackled he bends his knees and gets hit high. Does it everytime. Ive said it once and ill say it again RIEWOLDT IS A FLOPPER!!!!

[AndrewP6]

Just got home, and One Week At a Time has Custard on, and they're discussing staging for frees. Putting up several clips of players and judging whether they dive or not. I recall something about the pot and the kettle. ;)

[Sedat]

Apologies for going against the flow here but I'm sideing with Roo. Bryza was stupid doing what he did in the prelim last year as was Mattner last week.
Sorry Doc26, but I can't cop that argument. Whilst Mattner's and Hansen's could very technically be called 'in the back' (I'm being extremely generous to the umpires), Lake's was not. Irrespective, none of these so called infringments warranted up to 150 metre penalties and direct shots on goal. This rule interpretation is wretched and has opened the game up to cynical player exploitation, which is exactly what has transpired.

[Jasper]

People should have a look at one week at a time. Darcy (bless him) is interviewing Riewoldt who states something to the effect that 'yeah I milked that one', when speaking of the Mattner free.

Seriously maybe I have the timing off, but the club must manage these things proactively. Its no good waiting until after a final is lost to whinge. You can guarantee that clubs like Collingwood will have crack at the umpires, but not us.

There is a serious issue with Riewoldt here and it needs to be raised in such a way that it puts serious pressure on the umpires to umpire Riewoldt (and Hall) like they do the average player.

On an earlier point, when frees are paid to J Selwood and Judd it is often in the midified and not as damaging as to Riewoldt whose frees (or the ones that are missed) often result in a shot at goal.

[boydogs]

Regarding Riewoldt and other players from opposing teams - I'm not sure whether we would be allowed to complain about umpiring decisions in games we are not playing in? There would be some rule about not releasing that sort of stuff to the media as well

Regarding Hall, I haven't noticed that so far but will keep an eye out - he has and will definitely attract attention, so the club should be on top of this to ensure he is protected