This A-League round was one of the best of the season, with just about every club enjoying one reason or another to feel optimistic. But what was up with the refereeing?
The action started in earnest in Geelong, where the glass was either half full or half empty if you’re a Melbourne Victory fan.
Central Coast Mariners should have had the game wrapped up leading 3-0 at half-time, but not for the first time a lack of experience cost the Mariners dearly in a pulsating 3-3 draw.
Full credit for the decent crowd on hand that turned out in Geelong – a city that surely hasn’t seen the last of A-League football yet.
But if the Mariners are playing their home games more than a thousand kilometres from Gosford, then Football Federation Australia might as well start asking what sort of ‘metrics’ the beleaguered outfit bring to the competition.
At any rate, Victory’s stirring comeback suggests they’re still a force to be reckoned with, even if they’re in the midst of one of their most difficult patches under Kevin Muscat.
Sydney FC too could be a force to be reckoned with, although the Sky Blues still flatter to deceive under Graham Arnold’s guidance.
The major talking point from their victory over the Newcastle Jets was the scoring comeback of Ali Abbas, however Slovak winger Filip Holosko is also proving himself to be one of the more penetrating attacking players in the league.
If Sydney were workmanlike in their 2-0 win over the Jets, then Western Sydney were positively explosive in their clash with Melbourne City.
The problem for Tony Popovic – apart from an errant referee’s whistle – was the fact the Wanderers found the host’s import shot-stopper Thomas Sorensen in sublime form during City’s 3-2 win.
If the Dane was at fault for Mitch Nichols’ goal, he more than made up for it with a string of superb second-half saves.
Yet it would and probably should have counted for nought when Wanderers striker Mark Bridge rattled home at 2-2 in the 78th minute, only for referee Jarred Gillett to call back the quickly-taken free-kick.
In defence of Gillett, he blew his whistle – for a second time – just before Bridge slotted home.
“I originally called Patrick Kisnorbo out of position to manage that original situation,” Gillett told Fox Sports after the match.
“After doing so, I restarted play while the assistant referee was telling me not to restart because Kisnorbo wasn’t in position and therefore they were disadvantaged. So the fair thing to do was to restart from the free-kick.”
After the match, Fox Sports analysts Mark Rudan and Mark Bosnich both claimed Gillett had made a mistake, and it’s hard to disagree given that Gillett not only blew his whistle in the first place, but also lacked the situational awareness to realise Kisnorbo was out of position.
However on Monday’s highlights show, Rudan – who is undoubtedly one of the most astute analysts in the country – said referees are under too much pressure.
“I think we’re talking too much about referees. They’ve got a tough job as it is. They’re certainly under more scrutiny now than ever before, I believe, and I think we should just lay off them a little bit and allow them do their jobs,” Rudan said.
“Let them relax as well. They get paid to do a job. Do they make mistakes? It happens,” he added.
That was in response to referee Stephan Lucas awarding a penalty to Brisbane Roar in Wellington, only to change his decision and award a free-kick to the Phoenix after consulting with his assistant referee.
In the end, it was probably the right decision, albeit one made in unusual circumstances.
But it did nothing to divert the spotlight away from referees, on a weekend in which we should have been talking about the fantastic football on display.
Andy
Guest
No its not! If you fall over a leg in the boxs thats a penalty and that is all on the defender in that instance, you do not stick your leg out unless you know you will get the ball if you are in the boxs. Yes the attackers are looking for the penalty sometimes but it doesnt matter, if the leg is trailing and you fall over it and the defender doesnt make contact with the ball thats all on the defender for being bad.
Andy
Guest
They seem to be decided, they are not actually decided by poor ref decisions. There will be a few games where a ref makes an arguably wrong call and a goal happens or does not happen but those games are few and far between. If you have to blame the ref for your team losing, your team didnt play well enough.
Professor Rosseforp
Guest
Agreed, Fussie, that grabbing needs to be stamped out -- but I would love to see shirt-tuggers penalised in open play. There seems to be less of it now, but it still impedes the flow of the game, as mid-fielders seek to buy time for their defenders with professional fouls. I have also been surprised this season to see some referees ordering throw-ins to be taken from the spot where the ball went out.
FIUL
Guest
Definitely a step in the right direction. Would like to have this match official more involved in wiping out the grabbing that we see in the penalty box every time there's a corner. Football Federation Australia will introduce 5th and 6th officials to matches in the Hyundai A-League and Westfield W-League 2016 Finals Series after a successful two-year trial in the Westfield FFA Cup. http://www.a-league.com.au/article/ffa-announce-additional-officials-for-2016-finals-series/8id5e8kuncka1g4u65fjvppzy#CgmfDfTfwyT8yTka.99
Justin Mahon
Guest
We have a way to go with improving our refereeing, however I see it in the context of the development of football more broadly. We have come some distance on a long journey. I have been particularly pleased to see decisions overturned that would have resulted in goals being unfairly awarded (or likely to be in the case of the penalty that was overturned). I am pleased that there is a concerted effort for officials to work more as a team. I hope it continues. Refereeing is a hard enough job. Doing it in isolation when you don't have to is just silly.
Anthony Ferguson
Guest
Another thing I've noticed in watching the game from a ref's perspective - attackers when running into the penalty box, will wait for a defender to stick a leg out to tackle, then rapidly divert the direction of their run away from the ball to ensure they run into and fall over the leg. It's very subtle and they're very quick - but it's still cheating.
Anthony Ferguson
Guest
Poor old football refs cop more abuse than those in any other sport. I know this cos I spent my whole career abusing refs and then became one. I don't think the refs in the A Lg are much different to any other league. Part of the beauty of the game is the poor old ref is human and has to make a split second decision from one angle, and he does do with players who are getting better and better at simulation. Crack down on the latter for a start (hi Bez).
The Magic Man
Roar Rookie
This is an issue in all codes. The NRL season almost every game is apparently controversial. Now the focus is on ALeague refs in summer and the scrutiny is just as cut throat. Society today has lost all patience, is demanding perfection more now than ever, and wanted the decision to be made yesterday & in their favour. Refs in any code are generally on a hiding to nothing... and if it's a 50/50 call... you are on your own. We can just thank all the higher powers that our current crop referee's aren't making nearly as many mistakes and poor decisions as the current crop of players are.
Mike Tuckerman
Expert
'The writer' believes Jarred Gillett made a clear mistake in the City - Wanderers game, while Stephen Lucas could have consulted the assistant referee first in the Phoenix - Roar match.
CG2430
Guest
Central Coast was obliged to move one home match out of the fourteen we nominally have this season - we got money for it and Melbourne Victory got out of a possible breach of contractual obligations to Geelong's council, Docklands, or the Rectangular Stadium. I'd prefer North Sydney Oval so I could actually attend, but I'm a pragmatist.
CG2430
Guest
LOL!
Freycinet1803
Roar Rookie
Yeah I don't get the article either. By the end the writer agrees that the right call was made by the ref in these two controversial decisions. Let's face it the commentators on Fox don't even understand the handball rule (the law states a "deliberate action"). Sorry Bozza no mention of "natural position", or Simon Hill's "is it ball to hand or hand to ball" ... the rule is subjective as the ref does need to determine if it was a deliberate action or not. That is it ... not that complicated.
onside
Guest
Four linesmen (at every FIFA level) ; cross referrals with referee.
marron
Guest
Oh stop being so precious!
bryan
Guest
I quick google on passing completion took me to a website which analysis it in March 2014 for the EPL. No team had better than 90%. ie, 10% of all passes were stuffed up. Or to put it another way, 10% of the time, a player makes a mistake. If referees made mistakes at that rate, the howls would be through the roof. Yes referees make mistakes, and yes they make obvious ones and important ones. I watched Ben Williams dis-allow a WSW goal a few weeks ago which I thought was probably 70-30% call to WSW. Only difference. I was sitting in the stands with a great angle. Ben had just sprinted maybe 60m on a fast break, was possibly further away than I, and stuck behind the play. He had also probably done 5-7k's before that, likely running more than any player on the park at that stage. Refs make mistakes. Only bad fans and bad players blame them. As my old man always told me, if you allow the opposition to be close enough that a ref mistake will change the game, you haven't done your job. Oh, and a lot of the time, Good managers blame refs to divert attention. Unfortunately, it works way too often.
Kaks
Roar Guru
Naww chin up Fuss I'm just making a joke! The world is not a dark place lad ;)
FIUL
Guest
I don't have an issue, but is there any reason for the unprovoked attempt to attack me? Regardless, I wish you the best for the day.
Kaks
Roar Guru
"Every football match I’ve watched in my lifetime" ....so thats no football matches then
FIUL
Guest
There should be a maximum 24 hour to vent outrage at referee decisions. After that ... move on. Every football match I've watched in my lifetime, matches are lost by players making bad decisions more than any refs making bad decisions.
Kaks
Roar Guru
Referee decisions go for and against teams all season, It happens. However the disturbing thing is how many games seem to be decided on controversial decisions by referee's. Whether it be a wrong penalty decision or a blatant penalty not given. A blatant offside not called etc. etc. If it is a very close call I usually side with the referee's because I know how hard it can be to get every single close call correct without a replay, but I feel referee's need to be held accountable when a decision is blatantly obvious and the ref's get it wrong which subsequently decides the game for or against a team. In saying that, I do feel like us fans can be a little more understanding towards referee's. We never give them credit for the countless decisions they do get right and instead only focus on the ones they get wrong.