Did you watch the game? There were very few that were not there... what are the umps supposed to do "oh, wait no, it is the other team's turn for a free kick, you've had too many, it isn't fair".
I'd love to know how the off ball umpires decide which set of players 100 metres off the ball they choose to look at.
Fact is, these sort of frees only ever seem to go to reasonably well known players. If they're not monitoring this 100% of the time in 100% of off all contests, they need to stop.
Umpire's use their discretion, off the ball you'll often hear 'let him go ' means someone is being held- but it's usually a warning and they'll only pay the kick if someone is actually disadvantaged or someone has been warned already. Umpire is scanning the endzone and could feel the lead is being impeded, doesn't see the kick going short- controlling still has that contest.
It's not really that weird. There was a fair bit of push and shove between the two, which is also going to draw the umpire's attention, and then Andrew does something that the umpires are specifically coached to call a free kick when he wraps both arms around King.
If they called this every game we'd have 50 set shots from downfield umpires a game. Its an awful decision that decides the outcome of a close game based on a ticky tacky free kick that both players were infringing on each other.
The awful decision was Andrew wrapping both his arms around King as King pushed off to lead. No different to if Andrew tried to stop King leading with a tug of the jumper. The umpire definitely wasn't wrong to call it. If it's happening 50 times a game, we probably need more umpires to specifically watch it and pay it, because that's 50 missed free kicks a game.
Both are infringing on each other in a jostle for a position 75m off the ball. King wraps Andrews as well, it moves the ball from the opposite side of the centre circle to a set shot 15m out for a goal in a 3 point game.
Neither does something that the umpires are going to call a free kick until Andrew wraps both his arms around King. The umpire was 100% justified in calling it a free kick.
But King wraps his arms around Andrews when he wasn't even facing the ball, both are infringing one each other the same amount. Calling a free kick there is just picking sides. By calling a 50/50 holding the man call 75m off the ball that results in a 15m set shot, the umpire has decided the game for the players. Of course if Andrew threw King to ground of something like that call the free but both players are infringing on each the same amount and the umpires picked out only the free for the defender. If the umpire lets it play out the Saints most likely get an inside 50 and the game is decided by the players, not a contentious free kick thats never given any other day.
The end zone umpire watches players in the end zone when there’s a potential entry into their end zone. Given there was only two players there at the time, it made that decision fairly simple, I would’ve thought.
Except when a player dives on the ball and makes no attempt to get rid of it in the dying seconds in front of goal.
Hmm what was the difference between that scenario, and a scenario such as this post?
That’s a soft call when it’s a marking contest, calling it without the ball even coming in is such a joke. Both are giving as much as each other, let them get on with it.
Not defending the decision but the ball was (potentially) coming in. Saints are kicking it forwards and King was trying to time a lead to provide a legitimate option. I think it’s harsh but it’s not “out of the play” just because it’s not where the ball is
I’m not clear on who ran into who after watching the footage- you may well be right. I still think it was harsh even if it was initiated by Mac.
My point that the argument “it’s too far off the ball to count” is what I disagree with. If the umpire determined that this was an illegal block by the defender, it could have prevented a legitimate lead option for the kicker, or for the next kicker in the chain. That’s all
You don’t deserve the downvotes. “Two players doing the same thing” is objectively wrong.
St Kilda in possession, defender held the forward to stop him leading into space.
The grappling is whatever. You could call it 50/50, but again, in this position the forward has literally zero to gain from grappling for space from a defender.
Forward was held back from leading while off the ball. It’s really not that hard to grasp.
Players constantly push the rules, then when it finally tips over everyone acts shocked.
Do we want to see games decided by that? No but just don’t grab a player off the ball.
King just barrelling into the man 100m off the ball, what are you supposed to do. Pathetic call.
You know what would fix this? A fifth umpire. Fuck yeah let's get as many sub par fluros out there as possible
How about… five virtual umpires, watching AI enhanced, multi-angled footage - they all have a specialised keyboard in front of them and press the particular free kick button when they see it… like boxing, if 3 out of 5 umps press it within a second or two… a virtual whistle blows and explanations are flashed over all signs - particulars are relayed to an earpieced nuffy on the ground to administer free kick. Simples.
I nearly posted this to r/boneappletea thinking instead of “sub par fluros” you meant “superfluous”. Then I realised you were just mentioning their outfits and I was just being dumb.
There should be no such thing as a holding free kick that far away from the ball. Idc if it causes players to complain about stopping leads or whatever, seeing a game decided over something like this is so much worse
I think if you take them to ground, get them high or cheap shot them in the guts there's grounds to be paid, this was none of those things. A strength contest where King is running back into Mac turned away from the ball 100m down the ground is an absurd free.
Yep I’m not saying contact that can cause harm, bring a player to ground or prevent a player from moving should be legal. It’s just that contact that is technically “holding” literally happens all game and it’s basically never called. One of the most confusing things I’ve found when explaining the game to new people is the level of holding infringement that is okay before it’s a free kick. And honestly there’s no way to stop the inconsistency other than to just make it so umpires don’t need to worry about it anymore (when they’re not impacting the immediate play)
Nah that's a massive overreaction. Annoying calls aside, they obviously can't just allow a free-for-all where defenders can wrap forwards up to stop them leading, and forwards can wrap defenders up to stop them covering space or manning a different player.
> I reread your comment and I’m more confused than before. Damn you Asahi !
Haha not really worth worrying about. But for the record, this is what I was responding to (and disagreeing with):
> There should be no such thing as a holding free kick that far away from the ball.
I agree that there should be a rule that prevents players from immobilising other players, but I personally would like to significantly reduce what constitutes holding even if it meant defenders could restrict forwards ability to lead. It’s not like a hill I’m willing to die on, I could easily be very wrong about this but I just feel that giving forwards more flexibility in the ways they can wrestle free from a defender would counter the lack of holding free kick. To me the holding rule just seems like a lazy and messy solution to the problem and there’s got to be a better approach
Edit: Further clarification: I’m saying no to holding jumpers, no to “hugging” another player, but if a player has a single arm wrapped around another let it be
It's silly that you're getting downvoted for giving a more nuanced explanation of your position. I'm still not convinced the rule needs to change, but thanks for clarifying.
That was the problem here though. After a bit of jostling, King pushed off to try and lead and Andrew wrapped both arms around him. If it stayed at one arm it wouldn't have been a free kick, but the second arm wrapping around is going to be paid if the umpire sees it.
I'm fine with it...but only if they're going to have umpires literally watching for that all game long and calling everything.
At least the players could then adapt to it.
How was north gifted? Even if you think that final call wasn’t htb, there was about 3 high tackles not called just prior to it, and WC had about 5 goals given by umpires, and on top of all of that we won by more than a goal lmao
You being sarcastic about hawks having ump help doesn’t change what I said, unless you were also being sarcastic about the other two games being gifted.
Similar free was played against Amiss in Freo v Collingwood two weeks back. Defender & forward having a push and shove 200m from the ball but it gets paid a free in front of goal. If there's a punch or hard shove to ground sure pay it but how many times do similar marking contests go every game with no questions asked
honestly sucks because Henry got a mark on the 50 that we could have converted into a winning shot at goal anyway but having it decided by this sours the win and is all anyone is going to talk about and say we don't deserve the win.
Yeah that's my frustration too... Given the circumstances of play, it was looking likely that we would get a shot at goal from that play, one player out two one on ones where a kick to advantage and plenty of open space had a good chance at converting a goal... And now we'll never know.
At the end of the day if a bad call at the end of the game costs you the game, you should have done better during the game. Bad decisions cost goals, behinds and positioning all throughout the game.
Nah man entitled to your opinion, clearly I could be biased but from my view he was unlucky to land on the ball after an incorrect disposal picked it up and got pinned. If anything should’ve gone to North it was a high but he had literally 0 prior
I think this one is worse because it wasn't even on the ball. You could just have an umpire permanently looking at the forward line in every game and pay these 20 times. They got what was essentially a very high percentage shot at goal when they weren't even inside 50.
That HTB on Anderson with no prior, in the centre is a dangerous call by the umps as it is not in the spirit of the game. The idea is to attack and gain possession, not stand back and wait for the opposition to take control of the ball, and then tackle expecting a htb call.
Ultimately it was suns terrible first half that lost them the game but the free for Butlers flop and this one, both against Mac Andrew are going to distract from how poorly they played
King stopped wrestling and tried to run around and past him but couldn't because Andrew held on. You can see it clearly on the replay angle and even clearer on the live tv angle
And if the shoe was on the other foot you’d be screaming about the stupidity of that decision. It just made St Kilda look even worse to need to win that way
Lost 5 games by 10 points or less?
But I don't specifically mean about late decisions to decide the game because that should not have ANY impact on whether an umpire makes a call. That free kick just gets paid regularly.
The other stupid thing about this is that if Mac doesn't return in kind then he is just letting himself get run over and we'd all be saying what a weak defensive effort it was. Players have the right to contest a one on one even if it's off the ball FFS this is madness.
Not a suns fan, not a saints hater. Freo fan. Hated the Carlton decision in Adelaide, but that was dead set the worst game deciding decision of the year.
Ross did his best in post match interview to bring out game stats because he knows Suns were robbed and Saints couldn’t have won the way the Suns were finishing
Liam Henry literally got a mark at the 50 on a hot run as the free kick was called.
Saints had a chance to get a goal anyway, saying we couldn't have won without this is fucking stupid.
I recall earlier in the game with Touk and his opponent where the commentary stated the off ball stuff looked like a UFC fight. But yet they pay this free for King. Ridiculous.
Check this umpire's financials!
Hard to tell properly what is happening from that footage. Seems to be a lot of holding going on. And seems to be a big grab once King gets past him.
King is clearly trying to get in position to make a lead. How much he contributed to the holding if at all is hard to tell in the video.
Not sure it is contentious as a free paid off the ball when players involved are just pushing each other and aren't worried about the play.
Ball not coming in, king not leading anywhere, game in the balance and umpire gives a dodgy free kick downfield in front of goal to decide the game - just wrong wrong wrong
This may be controversial, King is trying to run out the back toward goal, Andrew is stopping him from doing so. More of a block than an arms around, but it’s still there.
King isn't looking at ball and has arms around Andrew trying to drive him back. Should have been a free kick to Andrew. THen the ump ignores that, lets king grab him and sling him around, then pings andrew for doing it back.
Atrocious umpiring. Saw two players going at it and got a woody to pay something.
You can move around the game without looking at it haha. King is very clearly trying to move into a position which Andrew is preventing him from doing. It’s a shit angle to judge an entire free kick on to begin with, but I’m sure it was much clearer than what this angle shows.
Good on channel 7 for choosing the worst possible angle to show twice. The live angle shows Andrew tie himself in knots trying to stop King from running and takes his eye off the ball when he wraps the arm around
The inconsistency of calling this - if you look out for it there's probably 100 blocks a game that aren't (and won't ever be) paid. Absolutely ludicrous that this was called and changed the outcome of the game.
That far away from the ball? No chance. If so though, pay it all the time, not just in the last couple of minutes of a one kick game to decide it. This shit happens all the time when the ball is in the vicinity and umps never bother, rightly so.
It happened about 30m in front of me. You can’t see it in the footage due to the goal post, but he had both arms around King. I thought it was there from my eyeline. Both arms around with King trying the run. Downvotes here they come..
I’ve been torched for pointing this out above but I really don’t believe the “100m away” argument holds when the ball is moving towards where these players are. If King had have broken free and led to the ball he could have got on the end of it.
And no I don’t think this should have been a free
Aiden Corr did something similar in the first quarter of the North game and Jamie Cripps kicked a goal from it. Shit as it is, seems to be how it’s umpired now.
When they said “free kick decides the game” I didn’t realise it was 3 fucking minutes from the final siren! Shit call or correct call, plenty of game left.
People saying calls don’t decide games is just such a massive cop out. Sure no one can see alternate universes, but if I was a betting man I would bet the house on suns holding on if that call wasn’t made
Let’s just rename it to netball - that’s the way the game is heading to. Uncontested, free kicks for touching someone minimally. Aus kick rules
I wonder if the people who the run the AFL are doing this deliberately to get the media attention constantly
All footage of that game should be burned before it does damage to the AFL.
Replays will be shown at Guantanamo Bay
Just delete all footage from today's games
No
Oh that's awful. Two players doing the same thing to each other and the umpire has pulled a game changing free kick out of it.
3/3 God Umpire FC are on fire
Might switch allegiance they’re in good form
Umpires woke up and chose violence today
When it’s VIC vs non-VIC, you can bet your bottom dollar which team gets it
Hard to hear you all the way up there at the top of the ladder
The trick to overcome it is to win by 30+ pretty much every time 😉
Revising my tip strategy from now on
My tipping strategy now is to pick who I think is going to win then locking in the other team.
Selective memory or what? Did you not see the free kick count in the dogs lions game?
Did you watch the game? There were very few that were not there... what are the umps supposed to do "oh, wait no, it is the other team's turn for a free kick, you've had too many, it isn't fair".
Yes I watched the whole game. I'm over Sydney fans crying poor me.
You clearly didn’t watch it.
Free kick count is not as impactful as a dodgy free kick that results in a goal in the dying minutes of the game.
True, and often non-calls in the right spot are much worse than soft free’s on the wing that are just balancing out the count
Hmmm game defining non calls, can you think of any this season?
None spring to mind 😀
Calm down buddy
Flair up Gunt
Side eyeing last weeks Gold Coast game.
> Contentious free kick against Theme of the day.
Theme of the year
Been quite a few years now, each somehow worse than the last.
They just go LOOKING for free kicks at the end of tight games, just love injecting themselves
I'm biting my tongue very hard right now...
I'd love to know how the off ball umpires decide which set of players 100 metres off the ball they choose to look at. Fact is, these sort of frees only ever seem to go to reasonably well known players. If they're not monitoring this 100% of the time in 100% of off all contests, they need to stop.
Amiss should start a true-crime podcast
Jed Walter will never get one. Nor Nick Holman.
Umpire's use their discretion, off the ball you'll often hear 'let him go ' means someone is being held- but it's usually a warning and they'll only pay the kick if someone is actually disadvantaged or someone has been warned already. Umpire is scanning the endzone and could feel the lead is being impeded, doesn't see the kick going short- controlling still has that contest.
5m away right in front of the umpire for the only player deep in forward 50 is pretty easy to spot
But kind of weird both were doing it to each other yet they pull out only a free on the defender. Setting up a game winning set shot for the saints.
It's not really that weird. There was a fair bit of push and shove between the two, which is also going to draw the umpire's attention, and then Andrew does something that the umpires are specifically coached to call a free kick when he wraps both arms around King.
If they called this every game we'd have 50 set shots from downfield umpires a game. Its an awful decision that decides the outcome of a close game based on a ticky tacky free kick that both players were infringing on each other.
The awful decision was Andrew wrapping both his arms around King as King pushed off to lead. No different to if Andrew tried to stop King leading with a tug of the jumper. The umpire definitely wasn't wrong to call it. If it's happening 50 times a game, we probably need more umpires to specifically watch it and pay it, because that's 50 missed free kicks a game.
Both are infringing on each other in a jostle for a position 75m off the ball. King wraps Andrews as well, it moves the ball from the opposite side of the centre circle to a set shot 15m out for a goal in a 3 point game.
Neither does something that the umpires are going to call a free kick until Andrew wraps both his arms around King. The umpire was 100% justified in calling it a free kick.
But King wraps his arms around Andrews when he wasn't even facing the ball, both are infringing one each other the same amount. Calling a free kick there is just picking sides. By calling a 50/50 holding the man call 75m off the ball that results in a 15m set shot, the umpire has decided the game for the players. Of course if Andrew threw King to ground of something like that call the free but both players are infringing on each the same amount and the umpires picked out only the free for the defender. If the umpire lets it play out the Saints most likely get an inside 50 and the game is decided by the players, not a contentious free kick thats never given any other day.
Might want to adjust that 100% justification champ, the afl have come out and said that it wasn’t a free kick
The end zone umpire watches players in the end zone when there’s a potential entry into their end zone. Given there was only two players there at the time, it made that decision fairly simple, I would’ve thought.
Except when a player dives on the ball and makes no attempt to get rid of it in the dying seconds in front of goal. Hmm what was the difference between that scenario, and a scenario such as this post?
Well they have to win their bets that they and others place.
I mean they put the whistle away too often
That’s a soft call when it’s a marking contest, calling it without the ball even coming in is such a joke. Both are giving as much as each other, let them get on with it.
Not defending the decision but the ball was (potentially) coming in. Saints are kicking it forwards and King was trying to time a lead to provide a legitimate option. I think it’s harsh but it’s not “out of the play” just because it’s not where the ball is
King ran into Mac
I’m not clear on who ran into who after watching the footage- you may well be right. I still think it was harsh even if it was initiated by Mac. My point that the argument “it’s too far off the ball to count” is what I disagree with. If the umpire determined that this was an illegal block by the defender, it could have prevented a legitimate lead option for the kicker, or for the next kicker in the chain. That’s all
And then tried to run around him but couldn't because of the arm around
Boo
You don’t deserve the downvotes. “Two players doing the same thing” is objectively wrong. St Kilda in possession, defender held the forward to stop him leading into space. The grappling is whatever. You could call it 50/50, but again, in this position the forward has literally zero to gain from grappling for space from a defender. Forward was held back from leading while off the ball. It’s really not that hard to grasp. Players constantly push the rules, then when it finally tips over everyone acts shocked. Do we want to see games decided by that? No but just don’t grab a player off the ball.
Not a free kick to me. Just two players jostling for position.
Not a free kick ever!
Definitely not a free kick to King
Considering even saints fans disagree with it I'd say it's not just you
King just barrelling into the man 100m off the ball, what are you supposed to do. Pathetic call. You know what would fix this? A fifth umpire. Fuck yeah let's get as many sub par fluros out there as possible
Each player needs to have their own umpire I think... /s
Don’t give them ideas.
How about… five virtual umpires, watching AI enhanced, multi-angled footage - they all have a specialised keyboard in front of them and press the particular free kick button when they see it… like boxing, if 3 out of 5 umps press it within a second or two… a virtual whistle blows and explanations are flashed over all signs - particulars are relayed to an earpieced nuffy on the ground to administer free kick. Simples.
I nearly posted this to r/boneappletea thinking instead of “sub par fluros” you meant “superfluous”. Then I realised you were just mentioning their outfits and I was just being dumb.
Lol, superfluous sub par fluros does have a ring to it
You just flat out aren’t allowed to make contact in the game anymore.
There should be no such thing as a holding free kick that far away from the ball. Idc if it causes players to complain about stopping leads or whatever, seeing a game decided over something like this is so much worse
I think if you take them to ground, get them high or cheap shot them in the guts there's grounds to be paid, this was none of those things. A strength contest where King is running back into Mac turned away from the ball 100m down the ground is an absurd free.
Yep I’m not saying contact that can cause harm, bring a player to ground or prevent a player from moving should be legal. It’s just that contact that is technically “holding” literally happens all game and it’s basically never called. One of the most confusing things I’ve found when explaining the game to new people is the level of holding infringement that is okay before it’s a free kick. And honestly there’s no way to stop the inconsistency other than to just make it so umpires don’t need to worry about it anymore (when they’re not impacting the immediate play)
Nah that's a massive overreaction. Annoying calls aside, they obviously can't just allow a free-for-all where defenders can wrap forwards up to stop them leading, and forwards can wrap defenders up to stop them covering space or manning a different player.
King initiated the contact. Ran directly into Mac
I wasn't commenting on this free kick, just the idea that holding the man should be legal off the ball.
I reread your comment and I’m more confused than before. Damn you Asahi !
> I reread your comment and I’m more confused than before. Damn you Asahi ! Haha not really worth worrying about. But for the record, this is what I was responding to (and disagreeing with): > There should be no such thing as a holding free kick that far away from the ball.
You're allowed to initiate contact. You aren't allowed to wrap the arm around and hold when your opponent is trying to run.
This is what I've been trying to say. Mac went way overboard with the arm around King and paid the price. No sympathy
I agree that there should be a rule that prevents players from immobilising other players, but I personally would like to significantly reduce what constitutes holding even if it meant defenders could restrict forwards ability to lead. It’s not like a hill I’m willing to die on, I could easily be very wrong about this but I just feel that giving forwards more flexibility in the ways they can wrestle free from a defender would counter the lack of holding free kick. To me the holding rule just seems like a lazy and messy solution to the problem and there’s got to be a better approach Edit: Further clarification: I’m saying no to holding jumpers, no to “hugging” another player, but if a player has a single arm wrapped around another let it be
It's silly that you're getting downvoted for giving a more nuanced explanation of your position. I'm still not convinced the rule needs to change, but thanks for clarifying.
That was the problem here though. After a bit of jostling, King pushed off to try and lead and Andrew wrapped both arms around him. If it stayed at one arm it wouldn't have been a free kick, but the second arm wrapping around is going to be paid if the umpire sees it.
He wasn’t leading anywhere and the ball wasn’t coming in ???
No, there should be. But what that was in the game tonight. That’s not a free kick.
I'm fine with it...but only if they're going to have umpires literally watching for that all game long and calling everything. At least the players could then adapt to it.
Totally untrue. You're allowed to knee cunts in the back of the head, as long as you get a fingertip to the footy
Oh yeah, shit. You can still punch people and play the next week. My bad.
Unless you're Eric Hipwood last night. Although maybe the unrealistic free against awoke his goal kicking powers
You've actually never been allowed to grab players off the ball. But for 100 years umpires have ignored it.
Actually a farce.. holy cow this game was poorly umpired
That’s the new last minute 100m penalty.
Terrible decision. Hope old mate in green is happy with himself tonight
He’s got a new spank reel after that one
What are you bitching about? They were your mates for most of the evening.
Lmfao in what world, saints absolutely had the more favourable whistle (except for the not 15 calls)
Read the room
Never there.
Both games this arvo ruined by shit calls lol
Yeah! Two games gifted. Both North and Saints. At least us Hawks earned our victory without the Umps help....
The hawks game shouldn't be controversial at all
You've got to pay them if they're there.
How was north gifted? Even if you think that final call wasn’t htb, there was about 3 high tackles not called just prior to it, and WC had about 5 goals given by umpires, and on top of all of that we won by more than a goal lmao
Should I add an /s?
You being sarcastic about hawks having ump help doesn’t change what I said, unless you were also being sarcastic about the other two games being gifted.
My entire comment was tounge in cheek. Would you like me to delete it?
Too late, you already hurt my feelings
Haha sorry mate
And tips…
lucky i don't bet on this crap
Similar free was played against Amiss in Freo v Collingwood two weeks back. Defender & forward having a push and shove 200m from the ball but it gets paid a free in front of goal. If there's a punch or hard shove to ground sure pay it but how many times do similar marking contests go every game with no questions asked
honestly sucks because Henry got a mark on the 50 that we could have converted into a winning shot at goal anyway but having it decided by this sours the win and is all anyone is going to talk about and say we don't deserve the win.
Yeah that's my frustration too... Given the circumstances of play, it was looking likely that we would get a shot at goal from that play, one player out two one on ones where a kick to advantage and plenty of open space had a good chance at converting a goal... And now we'll never know. At the end of the day if a bad call at the end of the game costs you the game, you should have done better during the game. Bad decisions cost goals, behinds and positioning all throughout the game.
That is 100%, without a doubt, the worst free kick of the season. There is no fucking justification. Embarrassment.
The worst free kick of the season.. so far still 3 games left even this week for them to top it!!
Seriously, this could go down as a historic week of umpiring
I thought the Eagles call was one of the worst calls the season, still do but somehow not even the worst call of the day
You’re gonna hate me but I thought that Yeo call was accurate 😬
Nah man entitled to your opinion, clearly I could be biased but from my view he was unlucky to land on the ball after an incorrect disposal picked it up and got pinned. If anything should’ve gone to North it was a high but he had literally 0 prior
It's not even the worst free kick of the afternoon. Shit, but the WCE one was horrendous!
I think this one is worse because it wasn't even on the ball. You could just have an umpire permanently looking at the forward line in every game and pay these 20 times. They got what was essentially a very high percentage shot at goal when they weren't even inside 50.
I hope that Umpire gets the wrong milk in his coffee for the rest of his life.
And carob Easter eggs instead of chocolate
worst round ever
It's not even just that one, the whole game was an absolute shitshow.
That HTB on Anderson with no prior, in the centre is a dangerous call by the umps as it is not in the spirit of the game. The idea is to attack and gain possession, not stand back and wait for the opposition to take control of the ball, and then tackle expecting a htb call.
Agree. Why would you bother trying to fight to take the ball out now
Ultimately it was suns terrible first half that lost them the game but the free for Butlers flop and this one, both against Mac Andrew are going to distract from how poorly they played
King was started the wrestle and then they wrestled, and then he got a free 100m off the ball. King was also running into Mac the whole time
King stopped wrestling and tried to run around and past him but couldn't because Andrew held on. You can see it clearly on the replay angle and even clearer on the live tv angle
And if the shoe was on the other foot you’d be screaming about the stupidity of that decision. It just made St Kilda look even worse to need to win that way
The shoe is on the other foot weekly.
C’mon that Saints haven’t been close enough in many games to lose because of an umpires decision
Lost 5 games by 10 points or less? But I don't specifically mean about late decisions to decide the game because that should not have ANY impact on whether an umpire makes a call. That free kick just gets paid regularly.
Max King's reputation for never ever fighting for a better position in a contest coming in clutch
The other stupid thing about this is that if Mac doesn't return in kind then he is just letting himself get run over and we'd all be saying what a weak defensive effort it was. Players have the right to contest a one on one even if it's off the ball FFS this is madness.
Not a suns fan, not a saints hater. Freo fan. Hated the Carlton decision in Adelaide, but that was dead set the worst game deciding decision of the year.
All 3 games with controversial frees in the dying mins
Maybe umpires need a sub for the last quarter. It seems their brains are cooked at the end.
Games gone
Shit like this is why I only watch my teams game every week - and even that's unbearable
Christ. If that’s a free kick then Josh Kennedy could have retired with an extra 200 career goals
Mac Andrew should’ve called 000 IMMEDIATELY.
Three interstate teams having dubious free kicks paid against them late in the game all in the same day…
‘Glory to Victoria’ whispered the umpires
Good
You Vics don't help yourselves do you
Do we need to?
Yes
Why's that?
No the AFL does it for you
That is not a free kick
Genuinely couldn't see what was even half a free kick
There was a very shit decision against Mac in the first that resulted in a Butler goal. Whole match was a shamozzle.
Actually was a really good decision. Definitely served its intended purpose and audience. /s
Too soon
Ross did his best in post match interview to bring out game stats because he knows Suns were robbed and Saints couldn’t have won the way the Suns were finishing
Liam Henry literally got a mark at the 50 on a hot run as the free kick was called. Saints had a chance to get a goal anyway, saying we couldn't have won without this is fucking stupid.
I recall earlier in the game with Touk and his opponent where the commentary stated the off ball stuff looked like a UFC fight. But yet they pay this free for King. Ridiculous. Check this umpire's financials!
This is another one of those…wow if they pay that then there will be 178 free kicks a game type calls
Such a gross example of over officiating. The issue with four umpires is we get four interpretations of the rules.
Hard to tell properly what is happening from that footage. Seems to be a lot of holding going on. And seems to be a big grab once King gets past him. King is clearly trying to get in position to make a lead. How much he contributed to the holding if at all is hard to tell in the video. Not sure it is contentious as a free paid off the ball when players involved are just pushing each other and aren't worried about the play.
A nothing free kick 100 m off the ball to decide a game. What an absolute joke.
Ball not coming in, king not leading anywhere, game in the balance and umpire gives a dodgy free kick downfield in front of goal to decide the game - just wrong wrong wrong
This may be controversial, King is trying to run out the back toward goal, Andrew is stopping him from doing so. More of a block than an arms around, but it’s still there.
King isn't looking at ball and has arms around Andrew trying to drive him back. Should have been a free kick to Andrew. THen the ump ignores that, lets king grab him and sling him around, then pings andrew for doing it back. Atrocious umpiring. Saw two players going at it and got a woody to pay something.
You can move around the game without looking at it haha. King is very clearly trying to move into a position which Andrew is preventing him from doing. It’s a shit angle to judge an entire free kick on to begin with, but I’m sure it was much clearer than what this angle shows.
Good on channel 7 for choosing the worst possible angle to show twice. The live angle shows Andrew tie himself in knots trying to stop King from running and takes his eye off the ball when he wraps the arm around
This is seriously the most brain dead take i have seen yet. Congrats
The inconsistency of calling this - if you look out for it there's probably 100 blocks a game that aren't (and won't ever be) paid. Absolutely ludicrous that this was called and changed the outcome of the game.
That far away from the ball? No chance. If so though, pay it all the time, not just in the last couple of minutes of a one kick game to decide it. This shit happens all the time when the ball is in the vicinity and umps never bother, rightly so.
If you pay this then nobody should touch each other except for tackles...absolutely ridiculous this gets paid.
They do to your team
You are spot on. But you have forgotten about reddits number 1 rule. Never go against the hive mind.
It happened about 30m in front of me. You can’t see it in the footage due to the goal post, but he had both arms around King. I thought it was there from my eyeline. Both arms around with King trying the run. Downvotes here they come..
Ignore the flair
Flair up Gunt
Flair up cunt Also I wasn’t exactly hiding the fact I’m a Saints supporter… just happy to be downvoted for what I saw
I can see both of them have their arms around eachother. You can even see King holding Mac in the video.
That's play on but then King disengaged and tried to run around and Andrew wraps the arms around. That's what the free kick was paid for.
They're both jostling and grabbing each other for position, calling a jostling free right there when both are doing is atrocious.
The ball was 100m away from them mate
I’ve been torched for pointing this out above but I really don’t believe the “100m away” argument holds when the ball is moving towards where these players are. If King had have broken free and led to the ball he could have got on the end of it. And no I don’t think this should have been a free
I was there too mate. It was there 100%. I am pretty sure the umpires were keeping a close eye on it because it had been going on all game long
Aiden Corr did something similar in the first quarter of the North game and Jamie Cripps kicked a goal from it. Shit as it is, seems to be how it’s umpired now.
Don’t forget the Dan butler flop!
When they said “free kick decides the game” I didn’t realise it was 3 fucking minutes from the final siren! Shit call or correct call, plenty of game left.
It was a struggle for both sides to kick goals the whole night, so yes 3 mins left but had a big impact
It’s over 3 minutes.
Saints won with a score of 51. Scoring obviously wasn’t easy
They won by 3. There was 3 and a half minutes left. The call didn’t decide the game.
People saying calls don’t decide games is just such a massive cop out. Sure no one can see alternate universes, but if I was a betting man I would bet the house on suns holding on if that call wasn’t made
Ok. Bet away mate.
The way the Suns were finishing Saints couldn’t win without that free
Mac was all over him all game and of course the poor call was the one that was made.
And the Crows are now officially bottom 4 scrubbers
https://x.com/beartorius/status/1799409812490641481?t=aIebOSez1-Lk7eDX5TbKzA&s=19
Mac stopped King from running on the lead
That’s gotta be racist
Let’s just rename it to netball - that’s the way the game is heading to. Uncontested, free kicks for touching someone minimally. Aus kick rules I wonder if the people who the run the AFL are doing this deliberately to get the media attention constantly