AFL umpires have found an unlikely ally in Luke Beveridge with the Western Bulldogs coach calling on the league to give its whistleblowers a fighting chance on holding-the-ball decisions.
The rule and its application have come under scrutiny in recent days after St Kilda coach Brett Ratten lamented his side earning just three free kicks from 86 tackles against Geelong.
Melbourne’s Simon Goodwin and Port Adelaide’s Ken Hinkley declared their preference for a tighter application, as appeared in play two days later when 21 free kicks were paid for holding-the-ball in the Demons’ win over Carlton.
Last August, a frustrated Beveridge said he had lost clarity around the umpires’ holding-the-ball interpretation and had subsequently stopped coaching his players on the subject.
Now he wants the rule to be simplified to allow umpires to find some consistency.
“It became blurry after 2016 when a couple of clubs whinged about us and they tried to pay more free kicks,” Beveridge said on Tuesday.
“By Round 3 (of 2017) they knew it wasn’t working, so they tried to go back to what it was.
“It’s just an example of flinching on the run.
“Let’s just get back to prior opportunity and incorrect disposal, and give the umpires a chance.”
Beveridge said holding-the-ball will always be difficult to adjudicate.
“The game has probably never been quicker, so sometimes it’s hard to work out whether a player has had prior opportunity,” Beveridge said.
“They pick it up, there’s a split second, they get tackled and if they deem there was no prior, they get dispossessed and it’s play on.
“It’s just a really fine line, so I get why the umpires find it hard in certain circumstances.
“But just keep it simple for them and give them every chance.”
Both Goodwin and Hinkley felt the St Kilda-Geelong game had been under-officiated in terms of rewarding the tackler.
“If the rule was a little clearer, I think for everyone and it was simpler, I think we’d get a better outcome,” Hinkley told AFL 360.
“I’m with (Goodwin) – I’m not against holding-the-ball being umpired a little bit more than it has been currently.”
me too
Roar Rookie
where is any mention of a conspiracy? perhaps someone or sometwo assumed and reacted without actually reading?
Naughty's Headband
Roar Rookie
You can guarantee that every play who goes near the ball will get pinged for holding the ball this week.
Naughty's Headband
Roar Rookie
I've read facebook biggy and it's a fact that every game in the AFL is now won by the umpires. Basically the whole AFL has a predetermined outcome. It has nothing to do with gamestyle or ill discipline. The whole competition is fixed.
Biggyd81
Guest
Yeah your spot on mate it's a conspiracy cooked up by the CIA to give the mighty Bulldogs a leg up - all the umpires are in on it. Stonemasons and all that. There is also one that stops people using paragraphs in the comments sections of websites.
dab
Roar Rookie
once upon a time, I could explain the basic rules of australian football to a newcomer to the game, in just a few minutes. Not anymore. It is easier to explain a NFL or Lacrosse game than it is an AFL game. Worst question is "Why is the crowd yelling 'BALL'?" Make things simpler!
Chanon
Roar Rookie
Flick pass Chuck get it right mate plus it’s been a revelation it’s a art form only the best can master, Go Dogs!
me too
Roar Rookie
well there's a shock. The Bulldogs are the masters of throwing the ball and holding the ball without penalty. Facing a Saints team that rightly complained about not being rewarded last week he's throwing his lot in to keep umpire favour. What perplexes fans is that some teams get much more the rub of the green from inconsistent umpiring, and the doggies are the masters of it. Their home umpiring record stretching all the way back to 65, but heavily bolstered in more recent year, is second only to the eagles. And this in at a home ground shared with many teams. They are the only team to have a positive away record as well. Yet for the vast majority of this timeline have had a negative win-loss record. The less said about the off the charts free kick totals in 2016 the better, as with that grand final. Personally the paychology behind it seems to be the softer approach to an underdog, which extends to admiration when they play against perceived large odds. And in 2016 the dogs did play well above the odds. So Beveridge knows who butters his bread and of course wants to support the status quo.
Charlie Keegan
Roar Guru
Well of course bevo says that his high handball game would be hammered if they started calling every throw haha