Western Bulldogs vs Adelaide Crows highlights: Dogs win a classic match

Yes, your right, the umps by 4th quarter realised they were extremely biased and we're trying to even things up a little as you say.. And you also admit interstate teams get worst of decisions against home team. Whether it's in Melbourne or not... But should we just accept that or expect better from premier code in the country?

The media don't down play it, they did their best to fan the flames against Hawthorn (but teams against Bulldogs seem to be ignored most) There always has been a disadvantage from the umpires for any team playing interstate, probably always will be, but for some reason nobody cares when it goes against the Victorian team. I actually was laughing in the last quarter watching the umps do their best to balance the free kicks, but the Bulldogs were always gonna win free kicks, they're small and play smaller, against talls, lots of highs, and I don't know if you've been to a Bulldogs game at Etihad but the crowd pressure is immense, even from the third tier, I felt for the umps. And it's "interstate teams" because the majority of teams are in Vic. If another state had 4 or 5 teams, you couldn't properly use "interstate", but for now, it's the best we've got (would you prefer "vic teams" and "others")

5 of the centre clearances were free kicks!

It was supposed to be a great match. But as a non follower of either team this game slowly descended into farce, with the dogs just receiving a few too many soft frees. This only make s the viewer angry, because it spoilt the prospect of a great spectacle. The look on those two umps only amplified their guilt of they knew they were having a bad game. After watching footy for fifty years, this game', umpiring wise, was in the worst five I've ever seen. To say if it was a more balanced umpired game, the Crows may have won would be a stretch. But us fans know garbage umpiring when we see it. These two men need some time, to reflect on thier decision making.

It's not the media (in fact the media down play it) I watched the game and the bulldogs were great but besides the one sided free kick count (which can happen) there were 8-10 non decisions that all went bulldogs way...4-5 of those were blatant and it does in fact change the fete of the game. But more than that it's frustrating to watch and you end up hating watching our game as it appears as its not an even playing field... Last qtr bulldogs actually got a couple of bad calls from umpires and that's what the commentators focused on...perhaps because it was at the panty end of the game or is it because they also see things through Victorian goggles? It's a valid gripe because you can overlook one or two games but this has been going on for years....it's just more prevalent recently.... Hawthorn VA crows finals game a few tears ago cost the crows and three major decisions that went against crows cost them the game and later when club asked for please explain, AFL admitted all three were wrong decisions. .but so what ? Game is gone and history is distorted... BTW, terminology is a sign of where AFL is at...when I hear "interstate teams" why does that automatically mean teams outside of Victoria? It still does feel like VFL add on competition... No where near a national cide... Sydney and Brisbane don't pay much attention to AFL and there the states AFL trying to expand and put money into ..yet they don't want it... While Adelaide and Perth (original AFL states) are being alienated. Rules are confusing to possess too....and on and on.... Biased umpires is just the last straw... BTW, it's not an opinion...it fact...just record a match that is not your team, and is played in Melbourne against a Perth it Adelaide team in particular, and wear your unbiased umpire hat and count up All blatant umpire decisions (and non decisions) and you will see what is a sad fact...

An absolute turnup for the books. After seeing the media story about crows abducting a chihuahua during the week, I was sure this was an omen that the Crows would stun the Doggies. Back to the crystal ball and dartboard for future games ...

You sound like someone who doesn't actually watch games and bases their opinions off what they hear from the media. The Bulldogs got more frees because they go in hard and low. Add to that the homeground pressures on umpires (which are even more prevalent interstate) and you get the free kick count you got last night. In the Hawks game, Adelaide didn't get bad treatment at all, just unlucky in the timing of some calls against, which the media decided to hammer into people's minds as being wrong. Hell, they got some of the most lenient umpiring go their way in the first quarter, (or did you think that was all skill). Next time watch the game, and be a bit more reasonable.

Bulldogs +17 free kicks!!!!! 28 free kicks to 12. And Crows got ½ of those in the last quarter. 5 free kicks from centre square infringements! Bulldogs are the kings of ducking into a tackle. Crows lost because they got smashed in the centre clearances (well soundly beaten if you remove the 5 they got from frees), but ffs that was the most one sided umpiring I have ever seen. Has there ever been a free kick differential that big?

Good game but why do crows consistently get bad calls (and no calls) from umpires. One umpire gave 23 free kicks only 1 of those to crows??? Add to that play on calls that should have been given to crows and game result has been tarnished once again! Crows need to get 4 goal lead to negate bad umpiring calls try will get....crowd will once again ask AFL "please explain" but it will just happen again next seek...we all used to the bias by now...just part of being an interstate team....80% if umpires are also Victorian - shouldn't be a factor but it may subconsciously add to the continual bad decisions and non decisions...

Are we at the stage of needing to allocate non-Vic umpires to games for non-Vic sides in Victoria? Even if they are not the best umps, at least they will not be sub-consciously biased toward the locals. 28 to 11? and this does not include other biased decisions which were not free kicks. It's amateurish, Gillon.

What is it with the free kicks first hawthorn and now bulldogs what the hell

Drop one of your best players from round six and justice prevailed. Abbie

Crows drop one of their best players last week for a Crouch and justice achieved.

Wow. Haven't been that angry after a game for a long time. The Dogs were slightly the better team on the night but the umpires certainly didn't help the Crows. Some of the decisions were just bewildering. I thought the league refereeing was bit dodgy this season but that one sided performance was abysmal. The Crows found it hard to get the ball out of centre bounces and had a lot of players a bit down on form. Despite this they were still a chance to win. Still reckon the Crows will be in the mix at the end of the season.

What a joke. This is the AFL and not the VFL I think. If this is the quality of the umpiring that we can expect from the AFL Umpire List, I give up. This would have to be one of the most one sided exhibitions of umpiring I have ever seen. It degrades the games when two teams who are only separated by a couple of goals 3/4 time can have such a difference in the free kick count. All this does is prove a bias towards Victorian sides. The Crows had the same quality of umpiring against the Hawks and when games are decided by a couple of goals, bad umpiring will be the difference between winning and loosing teams. lift your game AFL, this has gone too far and must be corrected before the game turns into a joke. If this keeps up I think supporters will be lost, the game will gradually diminish, and nobody will bother to support a game which is decided by the umpires. The better team on the day should always win and should in no way be compromised by bad umpiring decisions. As a supporter I don't know if I can be bothered with the sport anymore, I may need to follow other sports which perhaps don't have the image and the money draw of the AFL. At least I will be able to enjoy sports for sports sake and not wondering who is benefiting financially from the win.