2 replies to this topic

[Caveman]

I have had an understanding of football since 1976. So it is now 35 years.

The free kick awarded against Leigh Montagna of St Kilda in the third quarter is the worst I have ever seen in that time.

I am not entirely blaming the umpire for it- the problem is a wider malaise the game has got itself in for.

Often umpires make glaring mistakes- one of the worst decisons that I saw, was on the television was from a Sydney v Footscray game from 1984 on the cricket ground in 'Steak and Kidney'.

Our #34 (Michael McKenna) was concussed in a challenge- the umpire penalised him for dropping the ball and gave the Swans a free kick. I still think about it now occassionally.

Yet that shocker by the umpire in 1984 could be attributed to human error- we all make mistakes- so bad luck.

However the Montagna deliberate out of bounds was not made of human error or bad positioning- it was an interpretation of this disgusting rule. So the umpire is not 100% to blame because it was his interpretation. So rhetorically why do we have the kicking the ball out on the full rule- just have it as it was in the NAB Cup?



I will state my view again on this for the one millionth time- if someone kicks the ball at least 25 metres forward (ie closer to their goals than their opponents goal) and it so happens to go over the boundary line- then so be it- throw it in. The bloke who kicked the ball is NOT wasting time- and he is NOT running the clock down even if he wanted to (by the way does the clock ever run up?)

Why?

Because since the start of season 1994 the rules were changed- a quarter became 20 minutes plus time on, prior to 1994 a quarter was 25 minutes plus time on. Time on is now (from 1994) more readily given, it takes into account the ball being thrown in. That is why we have longer quarters now- the quarters prior to 1994 were always shorter.

If the ball had of been thrown in after Montagna's kick, then there would have been no lost time.

I was watching it at a mates house- that incident nearly made me get up and leave.

The game has changed- Shakespeare wrote during the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1 that-

"The law is an ass"

Well football is now an ass

[Fossie 32]

I'm with you, the rule is a farce. Then there's the element that you can do it deliberately but have to 'disguise' the deliberate nature of the action
I lie the free against last person to touch it as in soccer.

Similar situation in the holding the ball rule where the player has to pretend they are trying to get it out when they are hopelessly pinned otherwise they are pinged.

[Caveman]

A kick (from distance) that bounces just inside the boundary line before going out of bounds- for my money is often a skilful act. It should be encouraged or rather, it should NOT be discouraged

Because the player knows that he must not kick it out on the full- because his opponents will receive a free kick, due to him getting his accuracy wrong.

The more readily and often a deliberate out of bounds is paid- only encourages a team in possession to kick the ball backwards and sideways- because they can't kick it forward in case it goes near the boundary line and from there the inflated pigs bladder may possibly roll out- and thus be paid as 'a deliberate out of bounds'.

The game is played on a oval shaped field with an oval shaped ball. That ball can and will bounce in ways that are not always straightforward to players and the watching spectators. The ground has wide wings- the field is not a rectangular shape. Long may these idiosyncracies continue and long may the uncertainty of the game reign.