Superfooty jury: AFL greats, fans debate controversial Round 2 decisions as AFL backs James Sicily freekick

The AFL umpiring department has backed a contentious free kick against James Sicily in the final quarter against the Bulldogs amid a chorus of outcry over the match-defining call. YOUR SAY.

Hawthorn’s James Sicily looks at umpire Justin Power. Picture: Michael Klein.

The AFL umpiring department has backed a contentious free kick against James Sicily.

The umpires are still going through their weekend reviews amid a chorus of outcry over the match-defining decision and a host of other incidents.

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The officiating umpire believed the strike to Western Bulldog Josh Schache was off the ball and forceful enough to warrant a free kick.

In a review of the incident in the last quarter of the Bulldogs-Hawthorn clash there was no clear footage to show it was a mistake.

James Sicily trudges off with his Hawthorn teammates after their loss to Western Bulldogs. Picture: Michael Klein.

Sydney continues to rail against a free kick count against them, with the umpiring department still reviewing all of the relevant decisions.

But the umpires believed the play on call when Jarrad McVeigh attempted to milk a second 50m penalty was correct.

Complete overreaction by umpires #AFLHawksDogs paying free kicks for players pushing opponents with open hands.

Got sucked in to the argy-bargy of gamesmanship

— Wayne Schwass (@WayneSchwass) March 31, 2019

Really...That’s what our great game has become? Wasn’t high, wasn’t a punch, was a defender putting some body on his opponent. Most disgraceful umpiring decision I think I’ve seen, in the biggest moment of the game.

— Campbell brown (@Browndogg_30x) March 31, 2019

The decision to allow Shane Edwards the free kick on the halftime siren when Kamdyn McIntosh had tackled Steele Sidebottom was also a mistake.

Edwards kicked the goal close to the boundary but McIntosh should have taken the kick.

Would you have paid a free-kick against James Sicily to Josh Schache?

DERMOTT BRERETON: On the evidence supplied by the replay, definitely not. Not in this lifetime.

DEREK HUMPHERY-SMITH: No, it wasn’t forceful enough but with such a clear stance in 2019 why would Sicily put himself in that situation?

MICK MALTHOUSE: No, not from what I saw on TV. But sometimes that can be different from 5m away.

ROBBO: Emphatic no. For what? Manhandling? Unfortunately an embarrassing moment for the game.

MANNY GILIBERTO: No, terrible decision. He should’ve addressed the exchange and paid a free kick if it continued. Just address the punches.

Did umps take the judgment of off-the-ball incidents too far at the weekend?

DERMOTT BRERETON: Only the Sicily one. I think Zak Jones, they were ready to pounce early and Zak Jones was another one that they were just a little too anxious with that one. But I like the principle of jumping on the fact that players shouldn’t be able to elbow, forearm jolt or punch somebody in the body in play. I like that. It’s something that’s not part of our game, it should never be part of our game and it can only lead to retaliation and losing control of the situation for the umpires. So I like that they’re going to take control of it but you’ve got to see it properly.

DEREK HUMPHERY-SMITH: “No. The AFL couldn’t have been clearer about a crackdown on punches. If you are silly enough at that stage of the game to even get engaged, you are foolish. If you are a defender ad you get involved in that after the messaging, you are crazy.”

MICK MALTHOUSE: It’s what they’ve been told to do, you can only do what you’re told to do. I think they’re trying to do what’s required of them.

ROBBO: Certainly did with Sicily. The Jarman Impey decision was correct because he threw four punches and Jaeger was line-ball. But if Jaeger is the set standard, then that’s OK, we all know and the players have been warned.

MANNY GILIBERTO: Yes, it seems like they’re deliberately looking for ways to send a message that it will not be tolerated in any form.

How would you umpire off-the-ball pushing and shoving?

DERMOTT BRERETON: You tell them to calm it down I reckon but you can’t do anything if two players are going to push and shove. Besides that, if the ball comes down and they’re still pushing and shoving the coach will rip them apart. The thing that got me about Sicily is that even if the umpire did see a push to the chest that he’s taken action on, the Dogs player rubbed the head of Sicily which is also a free kick which should have been reversed again. I think James Sicily’s free kick against him was paid on reputation or poor reputation that he currently holds rather than on the evidence provided by sight to the umpire.

DEREK HUMPHERY-SMITH: “The way the AFL tells me to. It’s not my decision as an umpire. They have said not to tolerate it, and that’s the critical message players need to hear.”

MICK MALTHOUSE: The testosterone among men is always going to (create) argy bargy, that happens in a lot of sports. We’ve got to be careful we don’t totally sanitise the game but there’s going to be certain frustrations and pushes and shoves. Pushing and shoving don’t hurt anyone.

ROBBO: Watch it, probably warn them I’m watching it, give it the old ‘’come on you two’’ and then act when one of them ups the ante. I’m different to the some commentators, I don’t mind the interaction between the umpire player and if I had the choice, I’d ban microphones on the .umpires.

MANNY GILIBERTO: It’s part of the physicality of the game, address it when it goes too far, we all know where that line is.

Did Mason Cox deserve a week suspension for his bump on Dylan Grimes?

DERMOTT BRERETON: No. Simple as that.

DEREK HUMPHERY-SMITH: “No.”

MICK MALTHOUSE: No.

ROBBO: If the Tigers say Dylan Grimes was concussed, meaning he was hit in the head, then rules demand he be suspended. But it was a block. And Grimes needs to be aware of his surroundings. The issue is Grimes got a week for a deliberate forearm to the head of Jamie Elliott, and Cox was more a block and not a bump, I’d argue. It didn’t constitute a report.

MANNY GILIBERTO: No, and I’m not exactly his biggest fan. Maybe he should’ve stayed playing basketball, he would’ve got away with that.

If you were MRO Michael Christian, how would you rule on the Cox bump?

DERMOTT BRERETON: Clumsy at best. There was no malice in it I didn’t think. That is

one of those classic football incidents.

DEREK HUMPHERY-SMITH: “It might have been off the ball but some incidents don’t need intervention from the MRO. It was deserving of a free kick against Collingwood.”

MICK MALTHOUSE: I’d say (Dylan) Grimes should look where he’s going. I’m being fair dinkum – there was a general clause when I used to coach my players ‘Be Prepared’. There’s 36 players running around a ground and it’s competitive and it’s physical and he’s run into the bloke. I’m not surprised the way Michael (Christian) does it, but I certainly wouldn’t be advocating giving a week for that. The word I’m saying is prepare yourself for contact, always.

ROBBO: According to the rules in front of him, which is he hit Grimes in the head and therefore needs to be suspended. Privately, I’d be asking Steve Hocking to review said rules. Because the AFL is worried about further concussions lawsuits, they have clamped on head-high contact. It’s all too funny. If you elect to bump and accidentally hit a player in the head you get a week. And if you elect to lift your forearm and deliberately hit a player in the head you get also a get a week. Go figure.

MANNY GILIBERTO: It’s just a free kick for being too far off the play. Christian needs to watch back a few of his own replays.