It was refreshing in a strange sort of way to see the umpiring in yesterday's Swans vs. Fremantle game at the SCG as one of the major topics from the weekend of footy.
I watched a replay of the game last night, as I always tend to do, just so I can either confirm my suspicions that the game was poorly umpired or that the Swans kicked badly or that I was just seeing a lot of stuff in the heat of the moment that, with a half dozen replays and some level-headed analysis, weren't quite as controversial or questionable as they seemed in real time. The replay was vindication for much of the frustrated yelling that I and others around me did at various points during the contest. So many of the Dockers goals - particularly in the first quarter - came with an assist from the umpire.
Performances like yesterday's epically bad one from Ray "Razor" Chamberlain not only set the game and the umpiring corps back a long way, but also definitely does not help the very ingrained feelings of an elaborate conspiracy afoot in Sydney where the AFL doesn't like the style of football the Swans play, and so will do everything to make them lose. It's a pretty poor effort at a conspiracy theory for mine, but it's one you hear often enough around the traps. My other favourite, while we're discussing it, is that the AFL wants the Swans to die so that GWS will succeed. Funny, I thought AFL House have dreamed a scenario where both teams are playing well, drawing good crows and making finals appearances with regularity.
Anyway, the McPhee vs. McGlynn incident astounded me on replay as it did live at the ground. Why play wasn't stopped, and why the football wasn't tossed to McGlynn is beyond me. What happens now, do we have to get to a point where someone goes Barry Hall and actually lands a blow before the umps will whistle it up? Okay, it's not normally that bad, not usually, but combined with everything else that happened yesterday surrounding the men in canary yellow, it didn't look at all good. In fact, horrible is a good word to use.
So that's that, the Swan's have a loss on the back of some bad football, some lifeless stuff in the second and third quarters, and need to focus on turning up to play four solid quarters of football, for next week's game against the Western Bulldogs (Saturday at the SCG) is a serious do-or-die affair. Right now, our participation in September football is far from assured.
To the umpires, a note: you guys are meant to do your job and do it quietly, without fuss or fanfare. If you want to be the centre of attention, you probably should've become a player rather than an umpire. For future reference, it's bad when the commentators and analysts on a game broadcast and then on evening panel shows spend more time talking about your exploits, it's never a good thing. You do your best work in the background.
Looking forward to the Western Bulldogs game this weekend. Four quarters, Swans. Four quarters!
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