Paul Roos calls for full-time umpires with Sydney and GWS sick of being on the wrong end of free-kick tally

Former Sydney Swans coach Paul Roos and the club’s current administration have weighed in on evidence that Sydney clubs are disadvantaged by umpires when it comes to free kicks.

Dane Rampe argues with the umpire after conceding a free kick given against Essendon. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Paul Roos has declared the AFL is duty bound to clean up its act after damning statistics revealed that Sydney teams have been systematically kicked to the kerb by umpires.

The former premiership-winning coach called on the AFL to cut the excuses and make umpires full-time, while the current Sydney Swans administration also spoke out strongly to condemn the serious discrepancies laid bare in how the game is officiated across the league.

The Swans and GWS not only sit at the bottom of the pile for free kicks awarded this year, but over the past two decades they languish in the bottom three for free kick percentage.

When playing away from home, the Swans and Giants have also been blown out by free kicks more than any other team in the AFL as the biggest victims of “Hometown Harry” decisions since 1997.

Sydney teams have said for years they don’t get enough free kicks from Melbourne.

And now it’s official.

Roos said enough is enough.

“It is incumbent on the AFL to clear up the umpires, 100 per cent,” Roos told The Saturday Telegraph.

Dane Rampe argues with the umpire after conceding a free kick given against Essendon. Picture: Phil Hillyard

“I think the umpires have to become full-time. I’m sick of the arguments against it.

“If we didn’t think players would improve as full-timers, then why did players become full-time? We might as well have part-time footballers and let them train twice a week.

“The same analogy (applies to umpires). The more time you put into your craft the better you’re going to get.

“And we have to make it easier for the umpires to umpire because the rules are so grey now.

“My biggest beef is with the AFL and the rules committee. Everything has become so grey and the greyer it is the more you’re likely to be swayed by crowd noise.

“It’s just logical that’s going to happen because that’s the human nature part of umpiring. It’s where the rules are (that’s the problem).

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“The placebo effect (against away teams) is something we all probably believe in. It’s not surprising to me the Swans and the Giants are below.”

The revelation shocked no one at the Swans or Giants.

Swans football boss Charlie Gardiner said home ground advantage was a ­“reality”.

“You can’t shy away from the numbers where this year we’ve got the worst free kick differential in the competition,” Gardiner told The Saturday Telegraph.

“We’re negative 53 against our opposition for the year.

“If you look at Collingwood, they’re positive 90 for the year. It’s not only the (free kicks) that are paid, it’s also the ones that are missed.

Adam Kennedy questions an umpiring decision. Picture: Getty Images

“It’s a significant discrepancy. We obviously look at it internally and we raise questions with the AFL.

“We’ve known that we’ve been on the poorer end of differentials for a long time.

“The evidence suggests there is a home ground advantage and that perception is now a reality.

“We just want to see greater consistency. I’m confident the AFL are looking at it and incorporating it into their umpire education and training.

“As difficult as it is, I think as an industry it is an area we can get better in.”

Retiring GWS great Brett Deledio said it’s almost natural for umpires to get caught up in the partisan crowds that cheer against the Giants.

“We’re just outnumbered, mate,” said Deledio.

“ … in terms of the umpires, you can’t help but get caught up in the emotion (with free kicks). The AFL and the umpires would say that’s not the case, but we’re only human, aren’t we?”

Roos said the Swans had been dealing with the issue for decades, and the Giants were now fighting against a tide.

“GWS haven’t developed that huge home field crowd yet. And I think it’s a bit more prevalent (for them) because they don’t necessary have the opportunity to get the placebo the other way,” said Roos.

“We used to have coaches that would come from other clubs and they would say, ‘gee, we don’t get a real good deal, do we?’ And we’d go, ‘mate, it’s been happening for ages’.”