Over the last month of football, the Western Bulldogs (AKA everyone’s second team), have boasted a 105 to 52 free-kick differential. This is an amazing statistic.
Focussing on individual player statistics, the unheralded Toby McClean has had 16 of these free kicks, and not one against him this season. That is 15 per cent of a team’s total free kicks paid to one player.
When you combine Tom Liberatore’s 11 frees (noting only two against), two players combine to tally a quarter of the total free kicks to the end of Round 7 for one team. Tom’s dad and chief antagoniser, Tony, would certainly be proud of those stats!
Cue fans’ outrage (particularly in the City of Churches).
“Bulldogs players duck their heads”, “the umpire is married to the Bulldog president’s daughter”, “the AFL has handed the Doggies a dream top four run, with their first seven games at Etihad”, and more footy fan vernacular not repeatable on a reputable website such as The Roar.
The controversial Round 7 match against the Adelaide Crows has also drawn out the fact that umpire Troy Pannell paid 17 frees to the Dogs, and just one to the Crows, in a 28-12 towelling from the men in canary yellow.
Umpires boss Hayden Kennedy clarified on Tuesday afternoon that there was not a lot wrong with the umpiring in general during the match, noting that “most of the hysteria has been as a result of the actual count”.
Of most interest, and to counter Kennedy’s assessment on counts, is that Pannell has umpired the last three Bulldogs matches, and the free-kick count has been a whopping 75-38 to the Bullies. A 2-1 ratio – with all games at Etihad.
Relatively new to the planning around umpiring appointments, I find it interesting that the same umpire has been allowed to officiate the same team for three weeks in a row, on their home ground.
I have a few questions around this repeat-appointment process.
Does this breed familiarity that has an impact on decision-making? Do umpires build an unintended rapport with players or playing styles that could alter instinctive reasoning? Do the above statistics support a general view that umpires get swept up in home-ground advantage?
Has Pannell (irrespective of whether his decisions were right or wrong) been completely compromised by the selection process, in being associated with three consecutive matches with very skewed free-kick counts for one team?
Umpires are under enough pressure as it is, making split-second decisions with no review opportunity in general play. The human element to this process is an inherent beauty to our Indigenous game.
Passionate fans ride this rollercoaster, where your good mood for the week could be affected by a decision a part-time accountant or lawyer has to make 28 minutes into the final term – with that umpire having already tracked 17 kilometres to make hundreds of split-second decisions during the course of a game.
Unfortunately, one has to bring in the notion of betting on Bulldogs games. If there is a pattern here, and Doggies players are seemingly getting the rub of the green, what does this mean for betting markets when particular umpires are appointed?
In the interim, the Bullies will make the finals this year and hopefully continue to excite with their play. And I do hope that they are being rewarded for being first to the ball.
However, it will make some interesting reading if Troy Pannell’s name is on the umpiring panel for a Western Bulldogs preliminary final match in late September.
dave w
Guest
I watched a few bulldogs games. They constantly lower their heads as if coached too and why not the umpires reward them. But more interesting the umps dont ping their throw handballs rotating the umps is fair and more likely to stop corruption if t were ever likey to exist that is
fairsuckofthesav
Guest
Or your disrespect for that matter 'Dougie'. Point is Dogs players lead with their heads when tackled and were given a free kick which is incorrect interpretation of that rule. Which is what the panel on the 9 footy show noted last mon night. 'Disgusting' is probably better reserved for how Michael Talia was treated by your club. 'Pathetic' is apt for how your supporters booed Daniel Talia.
Pumping Dougie
Guest
A week later: 26 free kicks to Adelaide, 14 to Geelong. Almost identical to the Crows game against the Doggies last week, when the accuracy of the umpiring was apparently irrelevant compared to the stats count (according to our highly rational Adelaide fans). I wonder if we'll hear Crows fans whingeing this time? Good stuff Cats. Stick it up 'em!
Gecko
Guest
So on that logic, Fisher shouldn't be umpiring Freo or Saints games and Jordan Bannister shouldn't umpire Carlton or Essendon games. Yet surely having ex-AFL players as AFL umpires (if they're good enough) is a good thing because they understand the pressure the players are under. I'm sure Fisher and Bannister got over their respective delistings and can be trusted to umpire any games.
Darren L
Roar Rookie
Not sure how questioning the integrity of your own player without talking to him is finding your voice. He seems like a great coach but seems a bit quick to take potshots.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
Makes up for all those decades of getting robbed by the white maggots. You all know what I'm talkin'bout!
Mitcher
Guest
Maybe we're in agreement. I'd take it further and suggest that any voices - coach, fans etc - from the team coming out on the wrong side of perceived injustices should be ignored in discussion about that particular incident. Usually just hysterical 'poor us' foolishness.
Liam
Guest
You know what, I actually agree with the article's title. Let's have Troy Pannell umpire the bulldogs for the rest of the year, and let's have that umpire who provided Hawthorn with their advantages over the three games they won within five points continue to umpire Hawthorn. And let's have the same set of west australian umpires have West Coast in perth, let's have some Adelaide supporters don the ridiculous outfits umpires wear for their games. Anything to get this bloody fiasco umpiring out in the open, because the quality of umpiring has descended since the first round, and hasn't seen a bottom yet. This year, we are hearing more about umpires turning games, and it isn't just supporters of the affected teams saying so anymore. We need for the entire umpiring department of the AFL to actually be inspected/audited by an independent panel, and for the umpires to become professional. Right now - and this is not saying it has happened yet - there is just so much incentive for an umpire to take money to swing a game. We never thought it could happen in the sport of cricket, but there is so much money on the line, why wouldn't an umpire take money, when they are cursed by both teams on the day, and reviled in the media afterwards anyway? We need to do something to combat the current standards of umpiring and the impugning of individual umpires names, by putting the above reproach, and it clearly doesn't work by just saying that they are already above reproach. Change doesn't just happen, it must be forced, so, by all means, Troy. #FreeKicktoWB
Slane
Guest
No Viv, everything is fine so long as the umpires do a decent job. Most of us who watched the game can see why the Crows were so heavily penalized: they kept tackling high and were second to the ball for the 90% of the game.
VivGilchrist
Guest
Antony, I think as Aussies we are too self-righteous to think that corruption can occur in our fine country. Don't worry about all the gambling and money involved in the game. Corruption only occurs in other countries. Us Aussies are too good for that kind of behaviour.
Balthazar
Guest
Ha ha. I am glad you brought that up. And I am pretty sure it was Pannell involved in the 19-4 game too. It was the first time I ever heard Ross address umpiring in his presser - he said Freo didn't have the rub of the green, which is a little bit of an understatement. Sadly, Pannell is also umpiring v the Hawks this week. But with the team Freo has sent over *ahem* I am not sure they're trying to hard to win it anyway
VivGilchrist
Guest
Exactly. Everything is great the way it is.... .... so long as it benefits me.
VivGilchrist
Guest
What I'm saying is just because something doesn't effect us personally doesn't mean that it is not a problem. Whether it be the mass contrast in the interpretation of the rules from umpire to umpire or if in fact someone is corrupt, it should be looked at for the betterment of our game.
Pumping Dougie
Roar Guru
What problem, Viv? ?
Mitcher
Guest
Wait a minute, Viv isn't an Adelaide fan. I assume not since it would surely render his reply to Dougie's first comment the ultimate in hypocrisy.
Mitcher
Guest
As reinforced by the tripe trotted out above in the comments, a certain segment of footy fans will always find reason to whinge about umpires. The most amusing calls for me are for 'more professionalism' in the umpiring ranks. I can guarantee that it will not matter what money is thrown at umpiring, some fans grasping their victim mentality like a teddy bear will inevitably scream 'bias'!!! Despite Dougie's compromised position as a doggies fan, in my view he's on point in this one. Nobody seems willing to forward an argument about whether decisions were right or wrong. Just: '17-1 / bad look!! / we wuz robbed!!!' Oh well, carry on.
mattyb
Guest
Surely Adelaide aren't asking for the same sympathy one may have for a refugee. With the amount of tears that have flowed from the eyes of Crows supporters all this week I wouldn't be surprised if you blokes have salted the land wth the wave after wave of salty tears and in the future nothing may grow over there.
Mitcher
Guest
W. T. F.
Mitcher
Guest
Primo satire. Bravo sir!
VivGilchrist
Guest
Dougie, I like your "lm alright thanks Jack" attitude. I'm ok so what's the problem? Do you see refugees on tv and and think the worlds a great place from your warm lounge room? A problem is a problem even if it might not effect us personally.