Speaker 1: When Robo declares it's the worst he's seeing in thirty
Speaker 1: years of covering the game. AFL, we have a problem
Speaker 1: with umpiring, no matter what you say. In signing off
Speaker 1: on contentious calls, Hello and welcome to the Herald Sun
Speaker 1: Footy Podcast. I'm Andy Belaise. Today Glenn McFarlan will join
Speaker 1: me to chat about the recent umpiring decisions that have
Speaker 1: footy fans up in arms and what the AFL needs
Speaker 1: to do about it. And the Hawks they're the most
Speaker 1: exciting team in footy right now and can they, heaven
Speaker 1: forbid make the finals this year? Well, let's get into
Speaker 1: it with Macca and here again on the Herald Sun
Speaker 1: Footy Podcast. Glenn McFarlan joins me Ko maca.
Speaker 2: Andy, how are you well? I'm all right, but the
Speaker 2: umpires angst about it? Oh?
Speaker 1: There is that basically all that we've been talking about
Speaker 1: for two days. And it really kind of has overshadowed
Speaker 1: what was an incredible comeback win by calling it one.
Speaker 3: For the ages it was.
Speaker 2: And yeah, it sort of overshadowed the last few rounds,
Speaker 2: hasn't it. It's been probably a pretty difficult last three
Speaker 2: or four weeks for the umpires, and we don't blame
Speaker 2: them in their entirety.
Speaker 3: They have got the hardest job in the world.
Speaker 2: And I'll preface what I'm going to say by this
Speaker 2: little rider to say that they have got the hardest
Speaker 2: job in the world and they're asked to officiate in
Speaker 2: almost unbearable circumstances sometimes, but when they get it wrong,
Speaker 2: you need to say they got it wrong. Yes, because
Speaker 2: it's there in front of us. We can see that
Speaker 2: the mistakes that they actually make, and.
Speaker 1: These days even more so because there out there are
Speaker 1: multiple angles. There's absolutely slow motion behind the goals is
Speaker 1: up in the sky. There's all these angles that where
Speaker 1: we can pinpoint yes, that was a throw, even though
Speaker 1: it may not have looked like it.
Speaker 3: No, in real.
Speaker 2: Time, and I copped the throw bits. I cop that
Speaker 2: because umpires can't. We're basing it on the fact that
Speaker 2: we're watching it on the camera. And as you say,
Speaker 2: we've got the best angles. Sometimes there's a player in
Speaker 2: front of them, or sometimes they're out of position. Yes,
Speaker 2: there's four of them out there. I'm of the theory
Speaker 2: there still should be three. But in regard to that,
Speaker 2: like they're in a position that they're going to miss
Speaker 2: some throws or some you know, non disposals properly. But
Speaker 2: it's the ones like the non fifty meter penalty you
Speaker 2: know that should have been paid on, you know, on Sunday.
Speaker 3: They're the ones that you go, well, this is where
Speaker 3: the umpire got it wrong.
Speaker 2: And Laura Kay and she you know, probably confused everyone
Speaker 2: a little bit yesterday by talking about you know, you know,
Speaker 2: where things were going with that and sort of supporting
Speaker 2: the upile. The umpire got it wrong in the first
Speaker 2: part where he needed to call play on and he
Speaker 2: didn't call play on when a couple of calling of
Speaker 2: players over the mark. Forget for a moment that Bailey
Speaker 2: Scott's moved off his line until the umpire actually calls on,
Speaker 2: it's not play.
Speaker 1: On exactly, and so it's one of the others. It's
Speaker 1: play on, yep, or it's a fifty correct, it's one
Speaker 1: or the other. If the whistle wasn't blown for play on,
Speaker 1: it has to.
Speaker 3: Be hundred percent. And that's the issue.
Speaker 1: And that's the problem with what Laura K said. Isn't
Speaker 1: it that she created this, She did this this gray
Speaker 1: area of well it should have been play on, so
Speaker 1: the players.
Speaker 3: You know, it was.
Speaker 2: It was a very confusing and underwater and I'm one
Speaker 2: of those people that and Robo interesting column today he
Speaker 2: said it's the worst officiating he'd seen in thirty years.
Speaker 3: It is damning, and I get where he's coming from.
Speaker 2: I don't think it is because I've seen some instances
Speaker 2: in the past, but I get where he's coming from.
Speaker 2: And the front part of it is from his perspective
Speaker 2: as well. I think is the frustration that you know
Speaker 2: things are happening like that.
Speaker 3: We get it.
Speaker 2: Let me be clear and say I make mistakes every
Speaker 2: single day, like I'm probably making one. By the end
Speaker 2: of this podcast here I will have made several. But
Speaker 2: the point I'm trying to make is we all make
Speaker 2: mistakes own up to them. I actually respect people that say, geez,
Speaker 2: we got this wrong, We're going to fix it, We're
Speaker 2: going to try not to do this again. So I
Speaker 2: think the umpires, I don't know what we do at
Speaker 2: the end of this year, because we've had some you know,
Speaker 2: there was a couple of weeks ago when I was
Speaker 2: doing the Sunday Tackle and really tearing my hair out
Speaker 2: watching all the games, and that was the day that
Speaker 2: we had the Alliot Yo scenario, which I still the AFL.
Speaker 3: Tick that off and I'm like, how can you tick
Speaker 3: that off?
Speaker 2: And also the mac Andrew one, which fortunately enough, you know,
Speaker 2: it's not fortunately enough for Gold Coast, but fortunately enough
Speaker 2: for those of us watching, they did come out and
Speaker 2: say they got that one wrong, which was horribly wrong.
Speaker 3: We've just had a you know, a two.
Speaker 2: To three week period where it's been really tough, and
Speaker 2: it's going to continue to grow the talk about umpires.
Speaker 2: But let's be honest when we've made a mistake. Let's
Speaker 2: say we've made a mistake.
Speaker 1: Here, because they get as you say, they get so
Speaker 1: much right, so absolutely, no one, no one begrudges. Back
Speaker 1: in the day when there was one umpire, absolutely and
Speaker 1: so many mistakes, people just laughed about correct and they'd
Speaker 1: pull the umpire, pull a free kick out fifty meters away,
Speaker 1: blow the whistle, and everyone to be up in the air,
Speaker 1: and then.
Speaker 3: Yeah, and it happens.
Speaker 2: You know, isn't it weird that these things happen, you know,
Speaker 2: sometimes towards the end of the game.
Speaker 3: I'm sure if it happened in the second quarter, it's
Speaker 3: not going to really matter. You don't talk about it
Speaker 3: as much.
Speaker 2: And back then, really, when we're talking about third years ago,
Speaker 2: you know, we were really seeing a couple of games
Speaker 2: a weekend. We weren't watching every single game World Wars,
Speaker 2: all the replays correct, correct, But I just just I
Speaker 2: don't know what what what the what we do?
Speaker 3: How do we fix this scenario?
Speaker 2: You know, I think it's always a worry when you're
Speaker 2: changing interpretation through the year. I think that's always a problem,
Speaker 2: and that's always a concern. I think they're in a
Speaker 2: way second guessing themselves, the umpires they are.
Speaker 1: There's a very interesting Josh Barnes as the piece that
Speaker 1: went lives today online. It's in today's papers how much
Speaker 1: the controversial calls that have impacted games, and when you
Speaker 1: go back through them, it's amazing how yes, one decision
Speaker 1: doesn't cost a team because there's a whole game correct,
Speaker 1: But these these calls that that were very you know
Speaker 1: towards the end of the game in the defensive war
Speaker 1: offensive fifty, that that could have really swung the results
Speaker 1: the way. It's quite amazing.
Speaker 3: And you look at the Grand fightal last year, you
Speaker 3: look at the.
Speaker 2: Yeah, so you look at that in the in the
Speaker 2: dying moments, so You've got so many moments there it
Speaker 2: is there been one that stood out for you that
Speaker 2: has had you tearing your hair out.
Speaker 1: You know, my love of Melourn football clubs well known, Matt,
Speaker 1: and it was that I just had to bring this out.
Speaker 1: It was, I mean, you don't. You don't get thirty
Speaker 1: odd points down and expect to win. So I'll preface
Speaker 1: it with that. But against Carton in round nine, the
Speaker 1: Jacob van roy and dangerous tackle and I think Steve mcbernie,
Speaker 1: the umpire's boss, came out and said that was probably
Speaker 1: milked free kick so they might have put their half
Speaker 1: a hand up and said that was kind of wrong,
Speaker 1: but that that cost Melbourne the game. It did because
Speaker 1: they were coming and they got to with one within
Speaker 1: one point within with twenty seconds to go, so with
Speaker 1: that extra goal they would have.
Speaker 3: Won the game.
Speaker 2: I'm glad you've got that off your chest. You did
Speaker 2: tell me to raise that one, No you didn't, listeners,
Speaker 2: he did not. But yeah, and I'm the obboste you
Speaker 2: know who I barrick for in that sense. But I'm
Speaker 2: saying that was a that was a fifty meter penalty
Speaker 2: on Sunday without any shadow it out now he's still
Speaker 2: got to kick the goal. Yes, you're probably going to
Speaker 2: kick the goal. You're going to be close enough mcearroy
Speaker 2: and make the part correct or.
Speaker 3: He didn't make the part.
Speaker 2: So there's no given certainty about anything like you know,
Speaker 2: you think about, you know, scenarios like that, it doesn't
Speaker 2: always go that way. All I will say is that
Speaker 2: there is a lack of confidence. And if there is
Speaker 2: from the fans, imagine how it is for the players
Speaker 2: who have then got to work out on the field.
Speaker 2: You know, what are we going to do? We're seeing
Speaker 2: instances of players and even from a tackling perspective or
Speaker 2: who are not necessarily going to the ball now, which
Speaker 2: that's when I'm not sure that's the game that we
Speaker 2: all know and love so well. I think maybe over
Speaker 2: summer we need a summit, an umpire summit, where we
Speaker 2: sit down and we work out what is going on
Speaker 2: with this game and let's not change any more interpretations
Speaker 2: during the year.
Speaker 1: I agree. I think that's enough of the negative. Let's
Speaker 1: talk positive. After the break, we're going to talk Hawks
Speaker 1: and you're back here on the Herald Sun Footy podcast.
Speaker 1: I'm Andy Belaiz, I'm with Glenn McFarlan and Macha. Let's
Speaker 1: talk the most exciting team in footy right now. I
Speaker 1: know we wouldn't have said this at the start of
Speaker 1: the years. They're a happy team at Hawforlle and they
Speaker 1: really are a happy team. I love the selfie shot
Speaker 1: at the end of every game. I love the energy,
Speaker 1: the vibe.
Speaker 2: I made a few comments a few weeks ago that
Speaker 2: it was going to be, you know, in the future,
Speaker 2: it's going to be destination Dingley because everyone's going to
Speaker 2: want to play there because of the way they're playing
Speaker 2: their footy.
Speaker 3: It's exciting, it's a very good brand.
Speaker 2: They've got an exceptional coach and their list what they've
Speaker 2: been able to put together. Imagine if they play finals
Speaker 2: after losing the first five games. I've got a little
Speaker 2: scenario where I reckon they can if everything goes right.
Speaker 1: If you remember the start of the season fair March,
Speaker 1: when Will Day went down and they had a multitude
Speaker 1: of injuries and they couldn't work out who was going
Speaker 1: to play where Mitch Lewis was iffy and then was
Speaker 1: injured and they were just it was. It was devastation Dingley,
Speaker 1: it was. But now it's destination. They're they're exciting, they're fun,
Speaker 1: they're playing a brand of footy that every team.
Speaker 2: Would like to they are and I think that's going
Speaker 2: to attract This is the powerful thing as well.
Speaker 3: Not only is it good on the ladder. You know,
Speaker 3: they're at Waverley at the moment.
Speaker 2: By the end of next year they'll be into this
Speaker 2: multi million dollar Dingley.
Speaker 3: This is the end of next year.
Speaker 2: They're going to entice some really good players there to
Speaker 2: you know, Dingley's a fair way out as we do know,
Speaker 2: but they've got this huge, unbelievable setup they're going to
Speaker 2: have there and they are on the lookout for talents.
Speaker 2: So while they've got some great talent in there at
Speaker 2: the moment, they are going to be incredibly aggressive, particularly
Speaker 2: for a defender. They're heavily into you know, Josh Battle,
Speaker 2: trying to get Josh Battle there. There's others as well
Speaker 2: that Hawthorne are trying to get into the club now.
Speaker 2: So they are exciting right now. And could they play finals,
Speaker 2: it would be a remarkable comeback.
Speaker 1: What have they got? What's their run had?
Speaker 2: This is an interesting one. Let's run through it and
Speaker 2: we'll see what you're going to give them as well.
Speaker 2: They're currently seven to seven. They're worry at the moment.
Speaker 2: Is the ninety two point seven percentage. That's a real worry.
Speaker 2: So the same amount of wins as they were last
Speaker 2: year right now ready, which is quite amazing.
Speaker 3: So West Coast in Perth, it's a fifty to fifty
Speaker 3: I reckon, it's a tick. I'll give them that one.
Speaker 2: Geelong at gmhbae Long the vulnerable.
Speaker 3: They're beatable.
Speaker 2: Fifty to fifty game. I reckon, maybe if you free
Speaker 2: Maddle and Tazzy, I'm giving them that. I saw Freematal
Speaker 2: on the weekend. Hawthorne play Tazzy really well. Collingwood at
Speaker 2: the MCG tough, yeah, but they not without a chance
Speaker 2: fifty As long as I for as long as I
Speaker 2: can remember, Hawthorn's always played well against Collingwood Adelaide at
Speaker 2: the Adelaide Oval. You give them a week, give them
Speaker 2: a win there, GWS and Canberra there's a chance, there's
Speaker 2: a chance, there's a chance Carlton the MCG is going
Speaker 2: to be tough. Then they come home with these two
Speaker 2: Richmond the MCG tick, North Melbourne in Tazzy Launceston tick
Speaker 2: possible percentage exactly and that's what they need to do
Speaker 2: to boost. If not, they're going to need to win,
Speaker 2: Like the percentage is going to be a huge problem,
Speaker 2: so that means they need to win an extra game.
Speaker 2: So I'm looking at the certainty for their making is
Speaker 2: to win seven of the nine. Now that's going to
Speaker 2: be pretty tough. Could they win six of the nine
Speaker 2: possibly and go pretty close that to get them to
Speaker 2: thirteen wins last year to get into the finals, you
Speaker 2: have to have twelve wins and a draw.
Speaker 3: So they're going to be line ball.
Speaker 1: There are a number of teams in that yep, six
Speaker 1: to ten position on the ladder, though at the moment
Speaker 1: aren't there.
Speaker 3: There are?
Speaker 1: And you know what makes this season so interesting is
Speaker 1: that anyone, not even within reason, any team can beat
Speaker 1: any team in a yeah, and I think we said
Speaker 1: here last week or the week before that.
Speaker 2: I reckon there's probably three really strong winning premiership chances.
Speaker 2: I'm sticking to that, and then there's some really even
Speaker 2: sides well, and then one about.
Speaker 1: One of your premiership chances was fifty four points down
Speaker 1: against the bottom team, you know, halfway through the third quarter.
Speaker 1: So you know, any team.
Speaker 2: And any team you can do it. Fly two Denis
Speaker 2: did it again, didn't they? So but it is and
Speaker 2: it's a fascinating year. And I'll tell you what though,
Speaker 2: whatever they do this year Hawthorne, if they just miss
Speaker 2: out or whatever, I'm always a subscriber. And you know,
Speaker 2: some people say, don't play finals if you're not ready,
Speaker 2: that's garbage, that's crap. You play finals if you can,
Speaker 2: because you get the advantage of having that experience, and
Speaker 2: they're getting that. They got some great experience on the
Speaker 2: weekend in front of ninety two thousand fans. And so
Speaker 2: I think, not only this year, they are going to
Speaker 2: be a power and a force. Know, these these poor
Speaker 2: Hawthorne supporters have had this long drought, long Premiership drought,
Speaker 2: and haven't had a lot of success.
Speaker 1: Eight years in our finals Macher, I mean no, they
Speaker 1: haven't won a flag in ten years. It's just so sad.
Speaker 3: I feel for them. But I'm sure they'll get through.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think they will. I think it's at least
Speaker 1: please not be another three pete. Let's never hear the
Speaker 1: word Forethorn again. But they are going to They are
Speaker 1: going to be.
Speaker 2: He's a good coach though, he is a really good coach.
Speaker 2: He's done it the right way. He's changed his in
Speaker 2: a way, he's changed a bit of his personality. He's hard,
Speaker 2: he's still got the hard edge, but he's got a
Speaker 2: bit of fun about it as well, and you can
Speaker 2: see that they're really responding to about the players.
Speaker 1: Well, watch this space with the Hawks finals.
Speaker 2: We're giving him maybe maybe, Thanks Macher, Thanks Andy Chiz,
Speaker 2: that'll do us.
Speaker 1: On today's Harold's On Footy podcast, I'm Andy BelAZ and
Speaker 1: my thanks to Glenn McFarlan for joining me today. Make
Speaker 1: sure you keep an eye out for all the coverage
Speaker 1: from the Australian Football Hall of Fame on Tuesday night,
Speaker 1: then trade buzz from Moneyball on Wednesday morning, Nick mcguon's
Speaker 1: analysis Thursday lunchtime, all the game day coverage over the weekend,
Speaker 1: and then as always Robbos can't misstackle on Sunday night.
Speaker 1: I'll catch you next week.