Penalty barrage: Melbourne stung in zero tolerance AFL umpire abuse crackdown

Melbourne has already addressed its players after the Demons gave away a staggering eight 50m penalties in their pre-season loss to Carlton.

NOW RECRUITING: Holding the ball aloft like the Holy Grail, these AFL Community Umpires umpired are part of a close-knit team without whom we would have no grass-roots Aussie rules. Photo courtesy Michael Willson/AFL Media

Melbourne addressed its players about their costly ill-discipline after the Demons gave away eight 50m penalties as umpires crack down on abuse and time wasting.

Coach Simon Goodwin said he had spoken to his players after the game about the need to be better after many of the side’s senior leaders were caught up in the stricter interpretations of the rules this year.

Captain Max Gawn was penalised for mouthing off at an umpire in the first quarter while he was running from the ground, while defender Adam Tomlinson was picked out for questioning a decision as he stood the mark in the second term.

Forward Tom McDonald was then penalised for abuse late in the third quarter, seen waving his arms at the umpire after a free kick decision.

The Demons also received five other 50m penalties, including for not throwing the ball back to opponents quickly enough, giving the ball back to the wrong player and overstepping the mark.

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Melbourne gave away eight 50m penalties on Thursday night. Picture: Michael Klein

Jack Viney was caught up in a 100m penalty in the opening quarter after failing to clear the area after a 50m penalty had already been paid.

Six of the eight 50m penalties that Melbourne gave away directly resulted in Carlton goals in what was a five-point loss for the Demons in the AAMI Community Series match.

Tom McDonald gave away a 50m penalty on Thursday. Picture: Michael Klein

There had been only 10 penalties given for umpire abuse across the AFL’s nine practice matches last week, making Melbourne’s three indiscretions stand out.

“We spoke about it as a group because we want to be seen as a really disciplined footy club and eight 50s is clearly an adjustment to the new rules but also clearly we’ve got to be better,” Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin said.

The 50m penalty was officially against McDonald, not Petracca. So maybe you can clench your fists but not wave your arms….. Going to be a big talking point entering Round 1 https://t.co/yNtlGPTpVM

— Jon Ralph (@RalphyHeraldSun) March 3, 2022

“We hadn’t seen it that way last week but I think everyone in the competition will adjust to these rules and we’ll get better at it. But eight 50s is too much.

“I think they’ve been pretty clear with the clubs and the coaches and the players about that it will be different and tonight we got an example that it is different. But that’s okay. That’s what the game is and we’ll get better and we’ll learn and we’ll be a disciplined footy team and that’s what we’re going to be.”

AFL WARNS OF ‘LUMPY START’ TO UMP ABUSE CRACKDOWN

Nick Smart

AFL boss Gillon McLachlan has declared the days of players and coaches abusing umpires are over, apologising for allowing the disrespect of whistleblowers to go on for too long.

The AFL Commission had ticked off on cracking down on players and staff who transgress with their behaviour towards umpires this season, with fines and suspensions on the table for any offenders.

It comes amid revelations of a national shortage of umpires across the community level, with about 6000 more umpires needed to ensure every game is officiated properly.

McLachlan labelled it as “one of the most significant issues in our game.”

“Frankly, I take responsibility for the fact I think it’s gotten away from us,” McLachlan said on Thursday.

“I think the rules are clear and we’re not going to tolerate the abuse of umpires, and it’s clear to our players and our clubs.

“I’m apologetic it has gotten to this point.

“We’ve got a dearth of umpires; we’re 6000 umpires short nationally.

“It’s a great credit to the growth of the game, but it’s also the fact the supply of umpires hasn’t kept up because it’s a tough job made tougher by the players and supporters and others with abuse.

“We’re not putting up with it any more.”

Scott Pendlebury might have to tone down his approach to the umpires this year. Picture: Michael Klein.

Players can still talk to umpires on the field, which is encouraged, but only in a respectful manner.

More free kicks and 50m penalties for players aggressively questioning umpiring calls or showing any form of dissent will be applied during games.

“I know the first couple of weeks we might have a lumpy start, but we’ll find our rhythm,” McLachlan said.

“But people yelling at umpires from 20m away, those days are over.

“The team will pay a price and players will adjust quickly because that’s what we do.”

Players have been warned there will be few second chances for players who want to argue with umpires.

AFL coaches will also need to tread a fine line when speaking about the whistleblowers post-game.

“I think everyone understands what’s right and wrong,” McLachlan said.

“People can talk about the game and things in a respectful way, but what they can’t do is on-field abuse and coaches and others off field.

“There might be a feeling-out process in a couple of weeks, but it’ll settle down and I think behaviours will change.”

Some have suggested making AFL umpiring a full-time job, but McLachlan said the AFL’s advice was that it was not beneficial.

“If we thought the umpiring cohort would be better by moving full-time, we’d make that happen,” he said.

“That’s not been the advice I’ve got.

“There’s only so much fitness and training and technical stuff you can do, and having a more balanced life is the feedback I’ve had.”

Players flag big impact of umpire crackdown

JON RALPH

All-Australian Lions forward Charlie Cameron has warned the umpire abuse crackdown will have a bigger impact than changes to holding the ball after a weekend of strict policing.

Richmond and Hawthorn were among the teams handed 50m penalties for umpire abuse in weekend practice matches as part of the AFL’s new hard-line stance.

One 50m penalty was awarded against Jack Riewoldt while the ball was in the centre square after the triple premiership forward had a discussion with umpires about a borderline goal umpiring decision in their GMHBA match against Geelong.

AFL umpires handed out six free kicks as well as four 50m penalties for umpire abuse during the nine official practice games.

AFL umpires are cracking down on abuse in 2022. Picture: Michael Klein

The league’s umpiring department believes both officials and players adjusted well to the new rule, with the free kicks given for minor incidents of abuse.

Riewoldt apologised to the field umpire quickly after the incident against Geelong.

The league announced last week it was cracking down amid a shortfall of 6000 community umpires for the coming season.

The league’s new emphasis on penalising players who have prior opportunity but decide not to dispose of the ball was harder to spot.

With only one official AAMI Series game per club, teams will have to be wary of the kind of early-season crackdown that has come after the introduction of new rules every season.

Richmond was penalised with five 50m penalties in Round 1, 2018 during the early enforcement of the protected zone rule.

Cameron told the Herald Sun umpires had stressed during visits to officiate match simulation there would be few second chances for players who wanted to argue with umpires.

“A few players that like to backchat the umpire, you say something wrong and you will cop a 50m penalty,” he said.

“It is more the abuse (than the holding the ball rule), they are cracking down on that.

“They are trying to control the abuse and the language you talk to umpires so we need to respect them.

There’s been a push to improve behaviour towards umpires of all levels of the game.

“We have had a few games with the umpires here and we have got feedback from them as well. So it’s going to be tough but it is what it is and you have got to play footy and go from there.”

The league has conducted nearly 650 umpire visits to clubs over the summer to help bed down rules including the holding the ball interpretation, up from 500 last summer.

The league has decided against further restrictions to interchange this year after a marginal rise in scoring last season (from the shortened games of 2020) that was also influenced by a lift in shot-at-goal accuracy.

Clubs continue to suggest there will be a focus on attack this year given they are keen to replicate the high-scoring methods of premiership sides Richmond and Melbourne.

But Richmond is a persistent critic of the stand rule, introduced last year, which it believes encourages free ball movement but flooding to ensure teams do not score.

Tigers chief executive Brendon Gale told the Herald Sun last year the stand rule encouraged “circle work” as teams “just folded back”.

Scoring dropped from 80.7 points a game in 2019 to 79.7 points a game last year but teams were better able to move the ball from defensive 50 to inside 50.