I always remember John Russo coming to Rosebud High School for a Q+A session with the students baack in about 1986. I remember asking him a question which was basically 'will the umpires ever have microphones so that everyone can hear what they have to say'. He said quite emphatically that it would never happen as what happens on the field stays on the field and a lot of stuff innapropriate for TV happens.

Which was fair enough, there are some great stories of umpires from the 70s and 80s and earlier giving players a mouthful on the ground. This was OK because after the game they would all have a drink. They were after all, out there in the coliseum with the players as equals.

But you know the umpires were eventually given microphones and they eventually stopped having drinks with the players after games.

I think the microphones have been a bad idea in hindsight. They give the umpire all the power, we hear everything they say, but the players do not. I think the umpires now know this and use it to their advantage, theyare not stupid.

Sadly, the disconnect between umpires and players and supporters has grown deeper.

You are much less likely to knock a bloke you have had a beer with, those who have met others on TC know this.

I miss the 'What's Your Decision' segment from world of sport.

An umpire would actually speak on TV about certain decisions in a very candid manner saying some were right and some were wrong.

Everyone was happy with that.

The current culture of the umpires not speaking at all and taking no blame whatsoever makes them look worse than they actually are.

please AFL let the umpires interact with the players and the supporters again.

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I think the Umpires need to be more accountable for some of their descions they make...

the thing is we all make mistakes and some time make the wrong descion but do we consistantly make these wrong descions and mistakes

You are all having a lend of yourselves.

Harding is holding the ball.

Fev runs in. According to Ratts, Fev thinks it's our free (evidence of why he should think this totally non-existent). Fev knocks the ball out of Harding's hands. If Fev thought it was our free he only has to ask umpire for Harding to surrender footy. Otherwise it's a 50 to us.

It's obvious it's North's ball (although I concede it was unclear that a 50 had already been paid). Fev knocking the ball out of Hardimg's hands can only have one possible outcome i.e 50 metres.

Anyone who argues differently is allowing their allegiance to overwhelm their common sense.

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"You can't polish a James Hird"

Even as a Fev basher I didn't get offended by his efforts in this one. No one knew what was happening at all, and for the umpire to penalise him under such circumstances was ridiculous.

Actually the controlling umpire said it was a play-on situation, which is why Fev did what he did next. He didn't have to ask the umpire who's free it was as umpire had already called play-on.

No, it's obviously play on

Actually common sense by the umpire would have called for him to explain all his contradictory instructions and simply resulted in the free against Grigg being paid in the middle of the ground.

Read what I said. That is EXACTLY what happened. Quite clearly on the replay, as Fev jogs towards the mark, you can see the controlling ump signal play on, waving downfield with his right arm.

Otherwise, you are correct. Fev did hear the ump say something, cos he looked around after the ump said "Wait wait wait wait".

The umpires flowered up, Fev flowered up and Brent Harvey is just a flower.

The simple fact of the matter is if it was any other player in the AFL other than Brendan Fevola - the umpire would have allowed common sense to take over and just sent the ball back to Shaun Grigg's opponent in the midfield to take the free kick - and give the player (in this case the benefit of the doubt) caused by the confusion caused by the umpire's incompetence in this instance.

However because Umpires in general are prancing flowering idiots who just cant help wanting to make themselves the centre of attention - and in particular lord it over players like Brendan Fevola - decided to flower Brendan right up by being a (edited by mods)

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"Hence you will not say that Greeks fight like heroes but that heroes fight like Greeks"?

Winston Churchill

the umpires stuffed up what should have been a good game .....

and why vozzo is a flower-wit!!!

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one you knock back is one you never have

The reception given to the umpires at half time was as hostile and as I have seen in many a year. You can argue all you like about the Fev 50, the crowd said it all at half time.

whichever way you spin it, it was vindictive, over-officious and unnecessary. they can all @#$%&! off

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Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son.

I'll send the moderators my "Fawlty Towers" DVD's and they can have fun and edit "Flowery [edit]" Episode Eleven: The Anniversary, as well.

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"Hence you will not say that Greeks fight like heroes but that heroes fight like Greeks"?

Winston Churchill

There must have been a poll or something a few years ago, where all and sundry decreed that they wanted more interventionist, petty, scout masterlike umpiring. This incident was a case in point. The ball moved from our point post to 30m out and an almost certain goal for them. Entirely disproportionate.

Hysteria feels right as regards this incident. I'm reluctant to give it up easily!