The Lake 'Free' and Other 'Frees'

[The Pie Man]

Ward being held 50 out in the second quarter in a marking contest - he gets the journey from there easy if paid, and to me it looked a really obvious call not made.

I'm also transitioning from stunned emotion to flat out grumpy this morning, I'm hoping this can be somewhat cathartic, not keen on being ___ company all day.

[SonofScray]

The PC thing to do is run the "we missed our chances, umpires have no impact."

Bullshit. The fact is they got the rub of the green all night and they were gifted what was to be a real winner, while we were denied our chance in a final foray forward.

In M9 I thought the crowd was going to riot at one stage after a few non incorrect disposal calls and then the Shaggy free against.

We probably aren't going to win a Prelim ever, because we are born losers - but - I think there were 3 other obstacles out there last night.

[westbulldog]

Barry Hall's possible contract just went up by $50k. Negating Riewoldt was always the key given his recent performances. I thought the backline put in superb efforts but I was amazed that either Everitt or Williams were't selected to fall back and assist. I hope Johnno plays on.

[Go_Dogs]

The umpiring last night was shocking. I watched the game with some neutral supporters who would have been happy to see either team win. The mistakes were made both ways, although generally I thought we got the bad hand on the more obvious mistakes.

The umpiring was bloody ordinary though, and some of the mistakes - such as the Hargrave one, Morris should have been paid the mark in front when Roo came from behind and ripped the ball out of his hands, a few Saints players throwing the ball blatantly, or dropping it in a tackle. It didn't cost us the game, but the standard of umpiring certainly didn't enhance the contest.

Anyway.


But if any of those who umpired last night get selected to umpire in the GF based on that performance, I'll spew up.

[Hot_Doggies]

Two big calls that hurt us-

Robert Murphy ''play on '' call with a minute to go in 3rd quarter. He didn't run off his line. Milne kicks a goal with 6 seconds left.

Ben Hudson-2mins to go in final qrter, boundary throw in on the wing and St Kilda ruckman had his arm over Hudson's shoulder, they pay it everyday of the week. Saints take it down and Reiwoldt scrubbers a goal.

[Go_Dogs]

Sorry to do this Ernie but I forgot one. Ben Hudson jumps for the ball and is clearly held down by his shoulders/neck, play on. 20 seconds later Riewoldt goal.

Yes, forgot about that one - it had been paid ALL night too!

[Desipura]

Hargreave getting pinged for holding the ball when he kicked the ball. Dal Santo plays on and goals.
Riewoldt free kick gave them momentum for the one and only time in the game, the first 15 minutes of the 3rd quarter.
We lost the game, the umpries did not.

[firstdogonthemoon]

We lost because we weren't accurate enough. 11 behinds to 6.

The umpiring was UTTERLY TERRIBLE, it was EYE POPPINGLY RANCID, it was A THROBBING, PUSTULENT CHARNEL HOUSE OF INCOMPETENCE but we still could have won.

The thing that upsets me is that there is absolutely nothing to be done about it. This kind of umpiring gives me an experience of powerlessness and fury that causes steaming blood to spray from every orifice. Or at least it feels like that.

I do not believe in capital punishment, however the umpire who gave Captain Reiwoldt, Champion Underwater Adventurer, that free at the start of the third quarter should be put in the stocks outside the Whitten Oval. And then mocked unkindly. Repeatedly.

You can only control the things you can control. We have control over our kicking for goal and we didn't do it. We don't have control over the umpires, which is as it should be, it is a pity they are so crap, SO UTTERLY DEGRADED AND FECULENT. THEY ARE A PUFFERFISH CARCASS, DEAD AND ROTTING, BLOATED AND RIDDLED WITH THE STENCH OF HUBRIS, WASHED UP ON THE BEACH OF FAIL ON THE SHORES OF THE OCEAN OF YOU HAVE GOT TO BE ****ING KIDDING ME.

[G-Mo77]

I do not believe in capital punishment, however the umpire who gave Captain Reiwoldt, Champion Underwater Adventurer, that free at the start of the third quarter should be put in the stocks outside the Whitten Oval. And then mocked unkindly. Repeatedly.

Which maggot did give that free kick, McBurney?

[frank863]

Sorry to do this Ernie but I forgot one. Ben Hudson jumps for the ball and is clearly held down by his shoulders/neck, play on. 20 seconds later Riewoldt goal.

That one left me furous - it was an obvious case of the umpires not playing an obvious free kick because it was a tight game in the 4th quarter when the pressure was on. They would have paid it in the first half and in all home & away games.

Instead they prefer to pick a gimme free kick to Riewoldt for a bump at the start of the 3rd quarter probably because they had a chat at half time about Lake bumping him when he had a sore leg.

Sour grapes - yes, but the umpires were terrible and changed the course of the game, and we would never have got some of the free kicks that the saints got awarded.

[LostDoggy]

During the week I was going to start a thread on umpires, because I have seen it so often when we play against St Kilda that they get the rub of the green, but I thought I was being too negative. Sadly I was right- I don't think it cost us the game, because I think our bad kicking for goal, has sadly lost us all our finals including last years PF. But they certainly got the Saints back into it.

[yeah_sampson]

They didnt want us there! Period!

[OLD SCRAGGer]

But they didn't cost us the game.

OH YES THEY DID (in my opinion) Even Dr Turf on SEN this morning said the umps cost Dogs the game!!

[Topdog]

They didn't cost us but they helped the Saints.

[bornadog]

Not saying the umpires cost us the game, BUT, the influence is always evident when there is such a close game.

Three free kicks resulted in direct goals:

1. First goal to Saints - Hargrave one.

2. Reivoltings goal at the start of the third quarter. How do you think the players felt at half time knowing in such a low scoring game they were 7 points up at half time, they come out to start the third quarter, and bang, there goes the lead. The psychological effect on the players on both sides is huge, especially swinging the momentum to the Saints.

3. The deliberate out of bounce, what a bloody joke, what is our game coming to. A player can go up in a pack and deliberately punch the ball over the line, yet a player kicks the ball up the ground 50 metres and is pinged for deliberate. This rule is flawed.
Result was Saints centre the ball and kick a goal.

Yes lots of other things influence the game, but they are player related. Umpiring mistakes should not but they do.