Time On: Gerard Whateley says AFL needs lift standard of umpiring after missed Kysaiah Pickett trip

Veteran sports commentator Gerard Whateley says the AFL needs to act on the standard of umpiring, with the missed trip of Melbourne’s Kysaiah Pickett the final straw.

Time On is your wrap up of all the footy gossip and banter.

‘L-platers’: Whateley calls for umpire overhaul

Gerard Whateley has called for a better level of professionalism in umpiring after an incident on Saturday he labelled the “poster boy” for dismay.

While calling the game for SEN and AFL Nation Whateley couldn’t believe a trip on Melbourne’s Kysaiah Pickett was missed against Hawthorn.

“Lindsay pumps the Dees back to full-forward, after the kick and oh Battle collided with his own man Hardwick, Pickett got legged,” Whateley commentated.

“Free kick at the top… What?! What?! He got grabbed day the leg running in to goal to pick up the football.

“Oh my godfather! How could you miss that? There’s four of them! 45,000 people saw it clear as day.

“Sack ‘em all!”

Gerard Whateley says umpires need to lift their game. Picture: Scott Barbour

Whateley took aim at the call on Melbourne’s Kysaiah Pickett. Picture: Supplied

On Fox Footy’s AFL 360 on Monday night Whateley said it could be regarded as funny if it wasn’t so important.

“The game requires a minimum level of officiating, it is a professional sport, these two teams matter,” he said.

“They had a level of umpiring that felt like the L-platers as inexperienced umpires come through.

“It wasn’t a singular incident but that was the poster boy for it. And if we’re not at a point that can facilitate all nine games at a suitable level of officiating for a professional sport then it is time to dig into the philosophy and implementation.”

Whateley’s co-host Garry Lyon was more blunt.

“For god sake man, fix it.”

Getting uncomfortable’: Luke Darcy reveals why he quit the media

Luke Darcy has revealed the real reasons for his decision to walk away from the media.

The former Western Bulldogs star was a mainstay of the Channel 7 and Triple M commentary teams but quit at the end of last season.

His son Sam is a rising Bulldogs superstar and he worked on a game he was playing in and immediately regretted it.

“I was very conscious of giving clear air to him and it was getting uncomfortable,’’ Darcy told Dylan Buckley on his Dyl & Friends podcast.

“I’d been at Seven for years and suddenly you’re rostered on a game your son’s playing. I said hard no, I’m not doing it and understandably (they’re) going we’ve paid you … we’d like you do it. Had a fairly healthy debate around not doing it, I did it once and I just regretted it straight away. That made it easier wanting to give him as much space as I could as well.”

Luke Darcy said it became uncomfortable having to call his son’s games. Picture: Michael Klein

Darcy said he wanted to pursue other businesses and interests and spend more time with his wife Bec.

“I felt like I’d had this great chapter and I’d been unbelievably lucky to fall into the Triple M footy with those guys, it’s about as much fun you can have,’’ he said.

“From the age of 17 to I’m turning 50 in a couple of months time, all my winter months had been on a plane and travelling and that was the main decision. Unbelievable wife who’s a superstar, who I genuinely love spending time with. I just felt like there were some other chapters of passion I wanted to pursue. There’s some stuff in the business world that I was really loving. Can I buy back all that time? Would I regret not calling another 100 AFL games? No. Would I regret not jumping into that pond and have a crack … bit of the unknown, stuff I love, trying to build something I’ve been working on.

“It’s nice to do it on your own terms. You don’t get to do that too often in that space. You normally get sacked.”

Young Cat opens up on close bond with Gary Ablett Jr

Geelong young gun Ollie Dempsey has opened up about his close friendship with Gary Ablett Jr.

Dempsey said they’ve connected over their faith and playing golf.

“Gaz he’s been super for me,’’ Dempsey on Triple M on Sunday.

Oliver Dempsey says Gary Ablett Jr has “been super” to him. Picture: Josh Chadwick

The pair have become great mates. Picture: Mark Wilson

“I was able to catch up with him most weeks and see him at church a lot on Sundays. Pretty much every week which is good. I’m in constant communication with him, he’s become a great mate of mine and been such a good role model for me in footy and away from footy in faith and stuff.”

When they last played golf, Dempsey said Ablett prevailed.

“I was two shots up on the last hole and he hit a birdie from 40 feet to beat me and I thought that is the most Gaz finish ever,’’ he said. “It was fun.”

Brown says Rioli deserved a four match ban

Nathan Brown says he wanted to see consistency with Port Adelaide’s Willie Rioli and would have handed him a four match suspension for sending threatening messages aimed at Bulldogs opponent Bailey Dale.

“The Giants players in pre-season, they got four weeks,’’ Brown said on the Sunday Footy Show.

Nathan Brown says Willie Rioli deserved a four match ban. Picture: Tim Joy

“How do they weigh up Willie Rioli no suspension but a young player four weeks. It has to be in line with that, it has to be four weeks, and that might be harsh.

“For example if I sent a message to someone in our industry and those messages became public, would I be sitting here next week as a panel member. I don’t think I would be. I think it deserved a little bit more and I think it deserved four weeks in line with what the Giants got at the start of the year. All we want is the AFL to be consistent.”

Rioli stood himself down from the weekend’s match after apologising. The AFL said it won’t take any further action.

Originally published as Time On: Gerard Whateley says AFL needs lift standard of umpiring after missed Kysaiah Pickett trip