Fremantle defender Jordan Clark has told the Dockers the abusive words that saw him penalised for umpire dissent in the dying minutes of their loss to Carlton were aimed at himself.
After Blue Matthew Cottrell goalled to put the Blues in front in the final minute, the Dockers, adamant Cottrell’s mark had been touched by James Aish, debated the point with the umpires, eventually conceding a free kick for dissent.
Matthew Kennedy put through the goal from the subsequent free kick to seal Carlton’s win.
According to the Herald Sun, Clark claims he said ‘you f–king idiot, Jordan’ in relation to allowing Cottrell to mark, with umpire Alex Whetton interpreting it as directed at him and awarding the Blues a free.
The Herald Sun also reports Clark had engaged in verbals with the umpires all day, perhaps explaining Whetton’s belief that his expletive was intended for him.
Debate has since raged on social media over the late controversy, with many accusing the umpires of costing Fremantle the win.
However, the AFL has ticked off the free kick being paid, though league CEO Andrew Dillon acknowledged Cottrell’s mark was incorrectly awarded.
“I can’t repeat what was said,” Dillon said on Nine’s The Sunday Footy Show of Clark’s act of dissent.
“It [the mark] wasn’t there in the first place – we’ve acknowledged the mistake there. But the dissent decision was correct.”
Ex-umpire Michael Pell, who was arrested in late 2022 and interviewed by detectives over allegations he engaged in conduct that corrupted that year’s Brownlow Medal, revealed on X he’d given Clark a stern warning during a scratch match in 2020 to speak more respectfully to umpires – some two years before the league introduced the controversial ‘rule’ to penalise players far more harshly for incidents of dissent.
“The irony in all this is that I warned Jordan Clark in a Covid 14v14 nothing game when he was a spoilt brat and carrying on that he needed to stop abusing umpires,” Pell wrote.
“Guess he still hasn’t learnt. Stinky attitude and any wonder Geelong were happy to see the back of him.”
Clark was among the Dockers’ best in their heartbreaking loss, finishing with 30 disposals and a game second-high 627 metres gained.
Naturally, Pell’s harsh words received brutal blowback on social media, with some mentioning the allegations of Brownlow Medal fixing, though no charges were ever laid.
Speaking after the match, Dockers coach Justin Longmuir lamented the loss, but said his team ‘should have just got on with it’.
“I’ll have to dig a little bit deeper, but we should have just got on with it, even if they weren’t happy with the call before,” Longmuir said.
“There’s not much you can do. Our players clearly thought they had touched the footy, and they’ll still say that now.
“But that’s a really hard call for the umpire to make without going to a replay and we don’t want to do that for every decision.
“The umpires are never going to backtrack, are they? So we just needed to move on and control what we can control.”
sven
Roar Rookie
i wonder what the umpire would do if a player were to do a spot of 'self abusing' on the field ? is there even a rule about such an action ?
sven
Roar Rookie
scyphus asked Yank here asking, is self abuse something different in Australia? …. i had the same thought as u mate :stoked: … its something that certain posters practise a lot on this forum (the yankee version of self abuse) :silly: :laughing:
PriddisJunior
Roar Rookie
Huh?
Frodo
Roar Rookie
I guess some people enjoy the feeling of being down trodden, poor poor pitiful me types. Each to their own.
PriddisJunior
Roar Rookie
Didn’t think you could come with anything. The chip stays. Wouldn’t be much fun otherwise.
Scyphus
Roar Rookie
Yank here asking, is self abuse something different in Australia?
Frodo
Roar Rookie
Ridiculous comment! You really need to get that chip removed . . . pronto. It must be rather difficult living with it.
Darkbluepaul
Roar Rookie
Spot on Justin don’t want to review every decision. In the Richmond Carlton game Carlton had a free against them for front on contact, but it was Maurice Rioli who made the contact to his team mate? That is outright error nothing subjective like a ball skimming past an arm and flicking hair on slow motion replay maybe deviating in real time! Carlton won the game so nothing made of it but these things happen all the time. However Freo have had some rotten luck playing Carlton let’s not forget Jack Newnes goal after siren for innocuous free. As for accidentally saying the comment the dissent is not normally for one statement and Freo players including Clark were clearly remonstrating with the umpire before the kick!!!
adamkiwi
Roar Rookie
Maybe if we could kick more goals Don, so we crush the blue bagging bastards. It's what I'd like to see as a Freo supporter. Our Front half still gives me cause for concern. Looking forward to Mr Darcy coming back, and having one of our rucks up forward. Jackson preferably. Mr Darcy can kick goals too. So more goals Don, more bloody Goals.
PriddisJunior
Roar Rookie
VIC teams don’t cop the worst decisions each year. Tell me the last time they did ;p
PriddisJunior
Roar Rookie
GGGRRRREEEEYYYYY
PriddisJunior
Roar Rookie
Just ignore egos and ball it up. So we can have a last 90 seconds ending that fits the game
PriddisJunior
Roar Rookie
Umpires shouldn’t have to go to work Monday morning. Maybe they wouldn’t be so sensitive.
PriddisJunior
Roar Rookie
How doker of you.
adamkiwi
Roar Rookie
As a Freo supporter I have to agree you can't win flags is you don't follow the coaches advise on this one. I still hate Carltons guts though, as a Freo support that is. For a lot of reasons really, so for poaching players we train up, beating us but less that 15 points for the last XXX years. And lets face facts, the blues suck the most of any Melbourne side. Damn, sorry, just hating on Carlton because the boys played well, and the ball mofo baggers win again. "Should have just got on with it".
deadly demon
Roar Rookie
Don I hereby announce you the world champion whinger - who declared Freo unbeatable last year, get beaten this year by the blues and states categorically that Freo actually won the game I won't get personal however you make me laugh out loud with some of your extraordinary comments
deadly demon
Roar Rookie
oh I swore at myself. that's it I am rubbing my self out for 6 weeks coz I am a dumb mofo and cost my team and unnessary goal
Macca
Roar Rookie
Pearce now claiming the umpire didn't hear what Clark said and paid the free kick anyway :laughing: :laughing:
Frodo
Roar Rookie
Word of the club or word of the player involved? A huge difference there.
Frodo
Roar Rookie
C'mon dude. That's just a fragile and emotive oh the league's vic-centric response. Are you suggesting Vic teams don't cop bad decisions?