Score Review System worse than Umps

Is the AFL Score Review System worse than the Umpiring? Well, you make the decision.

AFL umpire performing the centre bounce.

Golly gosh! Another week of AFL score review and umpiring fails but this past week was no excuse. Week after week, the score review panel and umpiring has been appalling. The wrong decisions are being made and costing teams the win by a valuable goal or by a few points. Something needs to be done before it costs a team a crucial win like the big GF (Grand Final) or somewhere in the finals series. We don’t want a repeat of the 2017/18 Hyundai A-League Grand Final, do we?

McVeigh claims Hartung's goal was touched.

There have been a few absolute shocker calls made by the score review system over the past ten rounds of AFL football. These howlers have been shameful. They are making the AFL look terrible. Even the players, coaches and other staff members are blowing up about it but nothing seems to be influencing a change in the reviewing system. Not only are they getting it wrong but a clear goal is being reviewed just because they want to “save their backside” in case they award the incorrect amount of points. The score review system has costed teams not only a goal but the win. In round seven, Swans vs. Kangaroos, towards the end of the first quarter, North Melbourne’s Bill Hartung was one-on-one with a Swans midfielder but still was able to boot the ball straight through the middle posts. Now, the umpires declared a goal but the score review was needed to check if it was touched by Swans veteran, Jarrad McVeigh. On the replay, it was clear that the midfielder touched the ball but the shot was awarded a goal. The excuse for the error was “the replay was too slow”. Are you serious? This is unbelievable. It was a behind not a goal. Did you know that if the umpires actual took the time to review the replay properly, the Swans should have won by 3 points, not lose by 2? But wait, my rant isn't over.

In round ten, Tigers vs. Saints, in the beginning of the third quarter, Richmond’s draftee forward, Jack Higgins, kicked an absolute scream from the left forward pocket. Again, similar to North’s Hartung situation, the shot was awarded a goal but the score review system was required. From one angle of the footage, it showed St. Kilda defender, T.Hickey, catching the ball on the goal line but on another angle, it showed that he caught it just as it passes through the posts. Now, for those who don’t know, in AFL like Football (Soccer), the whole of the ball must fully cross the white line and the posts in order for it to be claimed as a goal. After multiple replays and the entire commentary box convinced it was a clear six pointer, the panel awarded a behind……. Speechless. Absolutely speechless. A fuming Damien Hardwick, Richmond coach, demanded answers and I’m sure all Tiger supporters expect the same. Fortunately, the reigning premiers went on to win the match but that one clear mistake could have costed the Tiges to win as the Saints dominated the third quarter. This hasn’t been the first time it has occurred during a Richmond game or to J.Higgins for that matter. On three other occasions it has occurred in previous rounds. Earlier this week, the AFL came out and admitted that they made a “blunder” with the technology. The score review system isn’t good enough.

Click on the link below and you make the call:

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-05-28/afl-admits-error-on-tigers-score-review

AFL umpired approach the field.

Besides the score review system, the on ground umpiring has also been a disaster. It’s been awful and inconsistent at the most. In the AFL, I know there’s a need for more than the one umpire in a game but there are too many opinions. One ‘ump’ delegate’s one thing but the other ‘ump’ delegates something totally different. These umpires are not on the ‘same page’ as each other. In round 10, Tigers vs. Saints, Richmond were awarded a free-kick in their own half but at the time, one umpire told T.Nankervis it was a free-kick while the other told defender, A.Rance to play the advantage. One of the rules of AFL is that advantage cannot be awarded if a free-kick was granted first. Whether they don’t know the rules or it’s a ‘in the moment’ decision, it’s not good enough. Consistency is important. It prevents misunderstandings and injustice for teams and fans. But that’s not all. The inconsistency continues. Usually a 50m free-kick is awarded when a dangerous tackle or contact has been made but in the clash, Tigers vs. Saints, J.Carlisle’s hit on J.Riewoldt wasn’t even awarded 50m’s and it left the forward concussed. On any other day of the week, this incident would have been a 50m free, so what circumstances were different?

The score review system and the umpiring in every AFL game not just some but all, needs to improve and as soon as possible. This week’s performance has a lot to prove and it better be a good week of Aussie rules without controversy.

Okay, I've finished my rant. I hope you have enjoyed this blog. Please leave a comment down below and give this blog a like if you enjoyed it. Your support is really appreciated.

Thank you!

Lucy xx