Well....I'm going to incriminate myself here - (and I'm sure I dont have much credibility on Dockerland anyway, and expect to have none hereafter.. - but I am afraid I don the lime green each week and umpire juniors everyweek.
Yep...I'm forced to wear green - call me old fashioned but there was nothing wrong with black & white - and yep, I pull the long socks up. The latter I reckon is important. Gonna be a footballer , well, start by looking like a footballer. Expect young tackers to do it, well, umps should look the part.
Maybe it shows I've made the effort to hold up the traditions of a game, maybe I hope the young blokes (&girls) appreciate that and try to uphold a few as well.
I have to adapt to some of these no-brained AFwL rules...sliding, ducking, D.O.OB.... and adapt them to young people trying to learn a game that once was quite simple ...ie go for the ball, get the ball, get it to a teamate, keep it away from the opposition.....Something like that anyway....
I reckon I do quite a good job...I won some umpiring awards in my youth...and don't cop a lot of abuse from parents or kids thesedays. That half tells me Im going ok.
But heres the thing. I once played the game, and I reckon I understand what\how players (adults or kids) are going through as they commit to their 'moment around the ball'.
To sum it up (and abbreviate) ...no one can tell me that umpiring doesnt revolve around 3 things :
1) a good "working knowledge"of the game
2) common sense
And,
3) discretion
Now....
I watch a few AFL games every week. I'm finding them increasingly harder and harder to watch. I am defintely someone that finds myself confused and bewildered by "a large percentage of decisions". I admit and profess to abuse the stupidity of umpires, but I reckon I target that abuse more at the mob who have implemented the rule.
So, if this rant is contributing anything to the discussion, I reckon theres just a lack of working knowlege -call it basic grounding - amongst umpires.
Their 'discretion' is severely limited as a result.
But mostly, theres just too much crap bought in by the rules committee, that is NOT black and white. Its all grey, and once things are grey, your relying on discretion and common sense .
And thats where things are going wrong.
Yes...every umpire makes mistakes, and that is never going to change, but the intepretation, the discretion and the common sense, is completely lacking at the moment. As a result, some abuse is completely warranted.!
I would not however condone ANY abuse at junior or low level games. Thats just not on. Theres a bloke out there giving up some time, putting something back in, and, well...just having a go!
And the game cant do without them. And I tell you what, its always a great feeling when a young lad - or a parent- goes out of there way after the game to say "Thanks Ump!". Maybe try it at your next match.?
Not any of the Freo ones though!!
