‘The way it was said’: Fremantle skipper Alex Pearce says umpire didn’t hear Clark’s words
Fremantle captain Alex Pearce says the umpire couldn’t hear exactly what Jordan Clark said when he awarded a game-changing free kick against the defender.
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Fremantle captain Alex Pearce has sensationally claimed that the umpire paid a dissent free kick despite admitting that he didn’t hear exactly what Jordan Clark said in the final minute of the Dockers loss to Carlton.
Pearce was one of the first on the scene at Adelaide Oval when Blues forward Matthew Kennedy was gifted a secondary set shot shortly after Matt Cottrell put Carlton in front.
Dockers defender James Aish clearly touched the inbound ball, meaning that Cottrell’s mark shouldn’t have been paid in the first place.
While several Fremantle players protested the decision, it’s alleged that Clark shouted “you f***ing idiot” at himself, prompting the umpire to pay a free kick for dissent. But in a fresh twist, Pearce said that the umpire told him that he didn’t hear the specifics of Clark’s cry.
“I chatted to the umpire straight afterwards and he didn’t know what he said either,” Pearce said on Monday from Adelaide.
“It was just that the way it was said.”
“There was plenty of frustration in that moment. One of our players knew that the ball was touched and we’d like to not let things boil over.
“I was able to get clarity from the umpire immediately afterwards. They’re never going to change their decision.
“It was a loud, intense game. There were some conversations with the umpire directly afterwards and it kept on going and maybe it got to a point where the umpire … I don’t know.
“The umps do a great job and no one means to make mistakes. They didn’t mean to miss that touched one.
“It is what it is. We can’t change what happened.”
Fremantle is understood to be seeking clarity from the AFL on the process behind dissent calls.
“I’m not sure of what the exact rules are around umpire dissent,” Pearce admitted. “I’m not sure if that’s what the umpire has decided and the way he said it was enough. I’m no umpire.”
Despite the controversy, Pearce said that he wouldn’t support the introduction of a captain’s challenge during general play. There are similar mechanisms available in sporting codes worldwide but the Dockers’ skipper isn’t sold on the concept.
“Knowing how things go, I probably would’ve used it a few times and lost it,” he said. “I don’t know if we want to be slowing the game down. Personally probably not.”
THE ADMINISTRATOR
Fremantle continues to wrap its arm around Jordan Clark in the wake of his controversial dissent free kick, hitting back at ex-umpire Michael Pell’s character assassination.
Pell, who lost his job as an AFL umpire due to a Brownlow betting scandal, labelled the Fremantle defender a “spoilt brat” with a “stinky attitude,” revealing on X that he’d previously warned Clark for poor behaviour towards umpires.
The irony in all this is that I warned Jordan Clark in a Covid 14v14 nothing game when he was a spoilt brat and carrying on that he needed to stop abusing umpires. Guess he still hasn’t learnt. Stinky attitude and any wonder Geelong were happy to see the back of him 💩👋 https://t.co/tKPeXbKLhl
— Michael Pell (@Pell_Mick) April 6, 2024
Fremantle football manager Joe Brierty leapt to the defence of the under-siege 23-year-old, questioning Pell’s integrity.
“To have someone who brings his character into question by someone on Twitter who has no credibility whatsoever is really frustrating and disappointing,” Brierty told ABC Perth. “I can only talk to the person Jordan is as an outstanding young person that he is.
“Jordan is a quality young man and a fantastic person who’s done an enormous amount of work for our Club on and off the field.
“We stand behind him (Clark) with our fans knowing the quality of the person he is.
“At no times do we want our players to be demonstrative or abusive in the way they communicate with umpires and we need to make sure as an industry we’re always monitoring that.
“But to have something online discrediting or questioning the character of one of our people is something we will not stand for.”
Brierty confirmed reports that Clark had informed Dockers officials that he was swearing at himself, not field umpire Alex Whetton.
“The conversation that we’ve had with Jordan is that he was frustrated at himself,” Brierty said. “He’s (Clark) swearing at himself at that point in time, but obviously from an umpire’s point of view when they are looking at each other, he feels as though it’s directed towards him.
“That’s where the umpire has paid the dissent free kick.”
THE TEAMMATE
Fremantle recruit Jeremy Sharp says that AFL players are “competitive beasts” and it’s not uncommon to swear on the football field.
Dockers defender Jordan Clark has been the subject of scrutiny after giving away a dissent free kick in the dying stages of Fremantle’s loss to Carlton. But Clark is adamant that he was swearing at himself, not field umpire Alex Whetton.
Sharp said it wouldn’t be the first, nor the last time Clark uttered profanities on the football field.
“We’re competitive beasts out there,” he said. “We all want to win at the end of the day.
“Being a professional athlete, you have high standards of yourself. For him to be swearing at himself, it’s not dissimilar to what the old boys would do.
“I’m the same. If you make a mistake or lose a one-on-one, you’ve got to be angry at yourself.
“I was on the wing and didn’t hear anything. From afar, there were a lot of different emotions in that area at the time.
“Jordan is one of the most competitive people I know. For him to have that moment and swear at himself, he would’ve done that millions of times.”
Sharp said the players were standing behind Clark and didn’t blame him for the controversial loss.
“Since the game, seeing all the backlash and the comments made about Jordan, it’s been pretty brutal,” he said. “We all rally behind Jordan.
“The amount of work he does for our club and our group, we really value him so much as a teammate.
“We love the work he’s done this year and he’s been a standout in our group and across the competition. The call was the call and we have to move on.”
THE UMPIRE
Former AFL umpire Dean Margetts believes umpire dissent is a black and white issue, adding that Jordan Clark’s comments would’ve been “pretty significant” to warrant a free kick.
“The law books pretty clear,” Margetts told SEN WA. “If any player uses abusive, insulting, threatening or obscene language towards the umpire, then a free kick is paid.
“There’s not doubt around that.
“The only layer I would put on it, as an experienced umpire, is that it would have to be pretty significant to warrant a free kick.
“Particularly when the passage of play is a bit off-Broadway. It’s gone through for a goal. It’s going back to the centre. No one is focused on that group of players.”
The 377-game veteran said that the controversial call would’ve been one of several errors the umpires made across the course of the clash.
“In that game, there’s probably somewhere between eight to 12 umpiring errors in the match that we’re not even talking about,” he said. “The Dockers would’ve received some, Carlton would’ve received some. But we always focus on the last minute of the game when it’s quite controversial.
“As far as the touched ball goes, to see a ball to glance Aish’s hair and bicep would be difficult for an umpire to see.
“The next part, once that decision has been made, it’s up to the players to adapt to that call. Nine times out of 10, they handle that pretty well.”
Margetts also clarified the decision for Matthew Kennedy to receive a secondary shot on goal instead of Carlton getting the ball back at the centre bounce.
“It’s where the infringement occurs or whatever is the greatest advantage to the team that infringes against,” he said. “If it was a Carlton player giving abuse, the free kick would be taken in the centre of the ground because that’s the greatest advantage to Fremantle.”
Dissent is also a reportable offence and could’ve landed Clark at the tribunal, allowing both sides to plead their side of the story. But Margetts said that it was up to the umpires’ discretion.
“He could’ve done that but maybe he didn’t feel as though a report was appropriate,” he said. “It’s up to the umpires to make that interpretation.
“He might have felt like a free kick in that moment was enough of a penalty.”
Originally published as ‘The way it was said’: Fremantle skipper Alex Pearce says umpire didn’t hear Clark’s words
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