The AFL’s umpires boss is standing by the controversial dissent free kicks paid throughout the weekend, declaring “the approach going forward won’t change”.
Dan Richardson mentioned the umpires perceive the controversy surrounding the requires verbally and visually difficult their selections, however mentioned gamers need to dwell with the results of doing so.
It follows the hefty value GWS paid late of their slim loss to Carlton, Stephen Coniglio making a gift of a free kick that led to a sure aim after throwing his arms within the air and questioning why a free hadn’t been paid in opposition to the Blues.
Richardson addressed that free kick particularly, ticking off the choice whereas encouraging gamers to respect umpires and their “human response” to being questioned.
“If there was no challenge to the decision, regardless of personal opinion on the threshold, then no free kick could or would have been paid,” he mentioned.
“Just like we have some players or coaches who occasionally get emotional, or become overly expressive when under pressure, we also have umpires with differing levels of temperament.
“We have a set of pointers for the umpires to work between, and we coach them, however we can also’t coach human response.”
He said umpires would continue to pay dissent free kicks moving forward particularly when there’s been an accumulation of incidents within a specific game.
It’s somewhat of a backflip, the AFL having told umpires last year to soften their hardline stance after a series of harsh calls were made against players showing a small level of emotion.
“Footy will not be black and white, it is among the hardest video games to umpire, there’s a stage of ‘gray’ and inside this space is the place the controversy at all times sits,” Richardson mentioned.
“The umpires perceive within the warmth of battle there are going to be instances relating to this rule, whether or not it has been an accumulation throughout the match or a single response, a time comes the place they should make a name.”
Earlier, Carlton defender Sam Docherty, whose team benefited directly from the Coniglio decision, stressed it was important to protect the umpires.
“An overarching precept of why they introduced within the dissent rule was to guard the umpires and I believe that itself is what it needs to be,” he mentioned.
“The arduous half with it, it is open to interpretation between umpires and a few issues will receives a commission, some will not.
“There’s grey all over it … you’ve just got to accept that’s part of AFL footy and it’s an incredibly hard game to umpire and our umpires do a great job.”
Collingwood coach Craig McRae urged if the edge on dissent free kicks was being tightened, gamers would naturally adapt.
“It became pretty apparent early last year the change was coming and we adapted, like all the teams have adapted,” he mentioned.
“If there’s going to be erring on one side or the other, I think that’s just natural course of the game and we’ll play within the rules.”
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
