A disastrous call was summed up in one line when umpire Rob Findlay blew his whistle, claiming holding the ball on Christian Petracca.
The call was wrong. It’s as simple as that. I don’t need a series of comments to go with this article to try and convince me otherwise.
But what really caught my eye was the conversation that took place between Findlay and Petracca.
Other than the sheer confusion of Petracca, the smirk of “I can’t believe I got that” from Toby Nankervis and even Dustin Martin listening in and wondering what on earth was that call, it was one line that infuriated me.
Findlay turned to Petracca and said: “There was no prior opportunity, but you didn’t make a genuine attempt. Those are the different rules”.
(Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
So in the middle of a season and part way through an already revamped season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we can just adjust rules? I have been a very strong advocate for many years against endless rule changes. You simply have to read some of my previous articles on The Roar to know this.
This takes the cake, though. I have never seen more genuine confusion in a player. All players around the ball had no idea what was happening.
Petracca must be sitting at home right now, nursing a sore head as a hard-bodied, big midfielder who now is wondering what he needs to change in his game.
Is this what we are going to see for the remainder of this season? I genuinely ask, does anyone know what the rule is now?
The AFL no longer has rules, it has interpretations. A hell of a lot of interpretations. The danger with interpretations is that it has nothing to hang its hat on. It is, as the word states, interpretation.
All 500-plus AFL players will interpret the rules differently. Our 30-plus field umpires will interpret the rule differently. Our general public, and I dare say the most important part of the AFL, will interpret the rule differently.
Sure, this will create great debate and discussion around the water cooler at work on a Monday morning. But we are not debating and discussing team performance or individuals as we should be doing.
No, we will be debating our interpretation to rules. I am so, so, so tired of discussing rules. For such a historical game well over 100 years old, I have never seen such constant discussion of rules.
We worry about players not getting on a plane to go into a hub to play and this could damage the AFL and the competition.
We are well and truly doing that and have been for many years.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Clarity plus!
Seymorebutts
Guest
Yep.. the Brownlow medal winners possessions were so ineffective the opposition were happy for him to have the ball. His little chip kicks and give and go handballs gave the opposition that extra second to man up and cover the space. Its no accident that we won a flag after he left. ;-)
Enigma
Roar Rookie
As a Dees supporter I was worried I was biased (I was fuming when it was paid) so I tried to go back to the rule. I think I can see where the umpire was coming from - if we're honest, was Petracca doing anything to try to get rid of the ball? Sterling has quoted, though, a carve-out to the rule whereby if the ball is pinned to you, it's not HTB. In that case, given Nankervis was holding it to Petracca, I think it was the wrong call. Findlay was correct when he tried explaining his reasoning (you can be caught HTB without prior opportunity), but I think all up he got it wrong this time.
Naughty's Headband
Roar Rookie
Noone tagged Swan.
Micko
Roar Rookie
Yes! That used to irk me so much! :angry: The rare AFL game I watched a decade ago has these knucklehead commentators and pundits saying: "What a game from Swan! He got 42 (or whatever) possessions today!!! :silly: ". And I'm scratching my head thinking what's the big deal with all those dozens of piddly handballs and kicks that effectively didn't really advance their team in anyway?! :laughing:
Link
Guest
Swan got tagged for years, the reason teams stopped was because he was breaking every distance covered record ever set and burning opposition players out of games
Seano
Roar Rookie
Your right to angry about rule changes but being able to tinker on the fly can help the comp. try and get rid of it or get pinged. Sounds good. Ball spills out it’s incorrect disposal, pay it. Halves the amount of ball ups. Perfect.
Brian
Guest
Its fine to have interpretations but if 100 fans can watch multiple incidents in one game and come out 50-50 you have a problem. Its no longer interpretation its luck of the draw. Its one thing watching your own team but even in nuetral games you see multiple incorrect decisions.
RT
Roar Rookie
As long as you don't starting replying to yourself or liking your own comments under a different persona, it sounds okay to me.
Stirling Coates
Editor
Yes and no on Frawley's one. I reckon he got pinged for diving on the ball which, under law 17.6.5, says it's entirely on him to knock it clear, but I think the umpire got that one wrong too. He was bending to pick the ball up and got tackled onto it, should've been a ball up.
Birdman
Roar Rookie
Great point, Stirling - James Frawley agrees! :thumbup:
Nick
Roar Guru
Good. The way it should be. Don't possess the ball...advance the ball. The ball should be forfeited to the opposition the moment you are tackled with it. All players have the choice between taking the ball and punching it away from the scrum. If you've done the former, and got tackled then you've squandered your prior opportunity to use the ball.
Naughty's Headband
Roar Rookie
Ever wondered why Priddis and Swan didn't get tagged but players like Pendlebury do? Because the opposition knows they won't hurt you with their 1 metre handballs and 14 metre sideways chip kicks.
Naughty's Headband
Roar Rookie
Change is refreshing. Change is renewal. Change is...why not.
Naughty's Headband
Roar Rookie
I think it compromises the integrity of the competition significantly. The AFL should never ever emphasise certain rules at any time, particularly in response to a whinge from a coach. That's as bad as it gets. My reference to the WWE implies that the AFL is "sports entertainment", rather than "sports", which is what the WWE promotes itself as. That is not a lie. Saying that the rules for the WWE are non-existent and made up on the spot is a flat out lie. They may bend the rules and break the rules but they still have rules.
The Doss
Roar Pro
Enigma, thanks for the reply and read. I implore you to watch the tackle again. If you think that is the correct call then we will see holding the ball 50+ times a game. It will once again tip the scales completely and change the game. Confusion and misinterpretation will reign once again. The Ed Curnow tackles in the saints game I can see as no genuine attempt. However, a gang tackle of 3 saints, does he even have the ability to make an attempt? Interpretation once again.
Yattuzzi
Roar Rookie
Out of curiosity, why change?
Stirling Coates
Editor
I've never rated Robert Findlay highly as an umpire. It seems here he's got the call wrong and then muddied the waters further by offering a nonsensical explanation. He is correct in that you must make a genuine attempt to dispose of the ball if you haven't had prior opportunity, but he's ignored rule 17.6.2 (b) which states; "Where a Player in Possession of the Football has not had Prior Opportunity, the field Umpire shall throw up the football when a Player, in the act of applying a Legal Tackle, holds the football to the body of the Player being tackled or the football is otherwise pinned to the ground."
Birdman
Roar Rookie
All I know is if you complain about it publically, the umps will strike back or over-react next week. Clarko didn't even 'go there' at this week's presser - he got the message - you may have four flags but we've got the whistle.
Johnno
Roar Rookie
Reduce interpretations & reduce the number of rules is the way forward. The AFL have complicated frees because of the scrutiny by commentators....there is that many of them that they have to find something to talk about. So they analyse things to death & we get more complicated interpretations. The AFL needs to bring the broadcasters into line, they are the biggest blight on our game.