There are reasons why the Western Bulldogs have achieved a high free-kick ratio since 2016, despite considerable scrutiny since, with many AFL clubs complaining that the club is umpired differently to every other side.
A favourable free-kick differential for the Western Bulldogs does not depend on getting the most free kicks.
If we look at 2021 stats, the Western Bulldogs got 220 free kicks for home matches, a lower figure than seven other teams.
In fact, the Western Bulldogs only ranked fourth in total home-and-away free kicks (437) when including the 217 free kicks given when playing away from home.
All AFL clubs strive to concede fewer free kicks, which can only enhance a team’s winning prospects. But there has been rare analysis to explain the high free-kick ratio for the Western Bulldogs against the constant whinging.
Alex Docherty wrote on The Mongrel Punt on 7 September 2021 after the Western Bulldogs defeated Brisbane in the second week of the 2021 finals.
(Photo by Albert Perez/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
While also expressing sympathy for Lions supporters, he clearly refuted the implication that the umpires helped the Western Bulldogs win the semi-final by analysing key umpire decisions.
Docherty asked “Has anyone actually stopped and thought about how they try to play the game and how they attempt to try and move the ball? How they approach the guy as they’re about to tackle? How they attack a contest?”
While noting that the Bulldogs’ 2016 premiership was based on a handball-happy style of movement that “drew the ire of many people” and “prompted the AFL to really clamp down on what’s considered a throw and what isn’t”, he indicated that the Dogs during 2021 “still rely on sharp hands at times to really get themselves out of stoppages, a style that several sides tend to do it in order to work out of congestion”.
Although Docherty observes that many AFL supporters “expect the umpires to narrow it down to every little detail”, he points out that “trying to spot out which of these fast hands are handballs would have to be one of the hardest things for an umpire to officiate during a game” and even professional umpires are “going to miss things”.
Merely citing a team’s favourable free-kick ratio, as many tend to do when they rely on data, is hardly a legitimate excuse for explaining defeat at the hands of the Western Bulldogs.
(Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
While many Bombers fans blamed the umpires for their loss to the Western Bulldogs in the 2021 elimination final, the Essendon coach Ben Rutten correctly highlighted the ability of the Dogs to play the conditions better and put themselves in positions to win crucial free kicks, which ultimately proved costly for Essendon.
Rutten said the free kicks were “part of the game”, with his team overpowered by the Bulldogs’ ability to win the contested ball (170-149) and surge forward in the slippery conditions in Tasmania because players are more likely to be rewarded “with their head over the ball” and being “prepared to absorb the tackle”.
It is the ongoing difficulty of umpiring AFL games that remains the issue.
During 2021, the Western Bulldogs’ coach Luke Beveridge, having observed that “the game has probably never been quicker”, pointed to past efforts by umpires to simply react to the manner in which his side disposed of the ball, which he argued simply created confusion for umpires when it comes to adjudicating the already ambiguous holding-the-ball rule.
Hence, Beveridge too has urged getting “back to prior opportunity and incorrect disposal” in order to give umpires every chance to make the correct decision.
But the whinging about the Western Bulldogs persists in 2022, as expressed after Round 3 of the 2022 AFL season when the Bulldogs defeated the Sydney Swans with a 31-14 free-kick count.
That was despite the AFL having announced earlier this year that umpires would be harsher on players who fail to dispose of the ball legally when tackled, including penalising a player after not upholding a prior opportunity to handball or kick when evading, fending and ducking.
Ultimately, the question over how to best adjudicate the very fast-paced AFL game is an extremely difficult task, a reality that will not prevent ongoing complaints by fans and officials.
In the meantime, the Western Bulldogs will endeavour to win as many games as they can by playing within the rules and getting to the ball first, as they have done so pretty well since 2015 under Luke Beveridge.
They have made the finals four times with two grand final appearances, winning in 2016.
Frederic Jameson
Guest
And other teams don’t? What specifically do the Bulldogs do that every other team in the comp hasn’t managed to replicate in 6 years?
Chris Lewis
Roar Guru
they get the frees for the way they play, it does not mean they always win just because of free kicks. They have many good players out at the moment.
Timbo's Rules
Guest
Doggie's lost today despite a free kick advantage of 24 to 10. This article is a pile of rubbish. The Dogs get a free ride and that just about sums it up.
FWIW
Roar Rookie
Another game, another outrageous differential. 24-10 to the Dogs. But yeah, they're just coached better...
Micko
Guest
To summarize then, the Western Bulldogs give away significantly fewer free kicks than other clubs. One area that doesn't receive enough scrutiny is ruck free kicks. The umpire can throw the ball up, have it come down on top of one ruckman's head, them penalise him for blocking. On other occasions, both ruckmen have hold of each other and the whistle goes. It is pure theatre as every player on the ground stops to see which way the umpire goes. I'm sure the umpires use ruck infringements to even up the game a bit. It is no surprise that Ruckmen are "top of the ladder" in both Frees for and Frees against. Tim English received 8 frees in a game earlier on this year, apparently the most ever. You can't explain that away with tackle techniques or fast hands.
Chris
Guest
Not offended at all just continually curious why you always maintain a negative attitude only towards the Hawks, be it tainted flag(s), umpire assisted wins, etc. Many other roarers praised them for their comeback win last game but your take was “umpire gifted” as it always is when they win. Can you ever recall a positive remark about them? It’s part of your silly game to portray a lack of objectivity when it comes to Hawthorn…Heaven knows your reaction to Hawkin’s perceived staging if a Hawk forward had done that.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
If it's a gift why does it offend you so? Just re-gift it. We're just talking about umpires. You take it back to an asterisk flag. Paranoid!
Chris
Guest
There he goes again, Stevic ‘13 GF, Freo robbed, blah blah blah, at least you’re consistent with your delusional comments. Bravo!! Keep playing silly public anti-Hawks games it’s the gift that just keeps giving. Poor bitter soul.
Naughty's Headband
Roar Rookie
I constantly amazed at peoples willingness to be blinkered. Players on every team do exactly the same thing as the Bulldogs, even on these supporters teams.
Naughty's Headband
Roar Rookie
The worst one is when the player gets tackled, everyone stops because 9 times out of 10 it’s a ball up, but on this occasion the umpire decides to not blow the whistle and it’s holding the ball, completely inconsistently with the way the other 9 incidents were umpired.
Chanon
Roar Rookie
Doc scroll down & read Mac account on the absurdity of people’s behaviour towards umpiring decisions it may enlighten you!
Doctor Rotcod
Roar Rookie
Without the shadow of a doubt umpires will err. Deliberately nah, an unconscious bias maybe, every now and then. Conspiracies can only have three or four members, conspiracy theories on the other hand are much more amorphous. Plots against our team and our players? Absolutely! Every game.
Chanon
Roar Rookie
Doc it’s up to the umpire to interpret the correct call they will always make mistakes. It’s a game played by all sizes from 5ft 2’ to 6ft 8’ extremely difficult to be perfect in a imperfect world, wouldn’t you agree Doc?
Doctor Rotcod
Roar Rookie
Imagine if The Great Scott said to his minions, "pay everything"... One weekend of that and the unwashed would say" pay 50 for dissent, let Hawkins, Weightman, Grimes, Selwood and Daniher stage, we don't care, please Mr Umpire have your way and your say"
Chanon
Roar Rookie
Always a pleasure having a chat Doc hope you had a nice afternoon with your grandson :thumbup:
Doctor Rotcod
Roar Rookie
"when at our best"... Best at receiving the benisons of the umpiring fraternity? Ask Tigers' fans about the rough end of the pineapple when it comes to frees. Still think Sampi should got a free...
Chanon
Roar Rookie
Doc just because the disparity of players behaviour shouldn’t be a displaced provocation towards my club being the Umpires Pet. We don’t go around pi’s.ing on the rest of the competition. We play at lightning speed when at our best & play in the right spirit. Chris wrote a thought provoking article & it shone a light on some individuals opinions on the matter. Woof Woof :thumbup:
berrlins
Roar Pro
See Roger this is where you lose me. Why would the AFL want some pi55y little working class club from the western suburbs of Melbourne to win a grand final when they have been pushing expansion in rugby league territory, and Sydney winning another flag would mean more NSW eyeballs on them. I am happy to have the discussion with you about poor umpiring during that game, the AFL came out and admitted as much, but to think the AFL benefited from the Dogs winning and wanted it to happen is laughable.
.kraM
Roar Rookie
Dogs were better on the day but soundly beaten? No. The margin was 1 point with less than a quarter to go.
Doctor Rotcod
Roar Rookie
Also, the impartiality of impures varies from game to game and player to player. See Cotchin/Walker.. They can be excitable if they feel that they are not being respected. When a bunch of players are signalling for a free, do they divide by two and add fifty?