Boos and howls of rage sound out across Marvel Stadium. This is the third Fifty Metre penalty the home team has received this game. Was it for dissent? A rule that has faded in and out of favour this year. You could not tell. All I can think of, is that the Bulldogs fans are right to be angry.
The Interstate Supporter
Being the supporter of an interstate club opens your eyes to a different way to watch the game. Rarely do you get to see your team play live in front of you. Friends and family will invite you to join them to watch their team, of course you go. A day or evening at the football is a lot of fun.
What you learn to do is appreciate good football. You are no longer emotionally chained to the actions on the field. Every bad decision is no longer a blight on the history of the game. A player who takes possession of the ball and is immediately tackled is no longer automatically holding the ball. It is a freeing experience.
You analyse the game differently. Perhaps you notice the patterns on the field. The zone defence. Players moving up too far. The work off the ball that you never see on televised coverage. How certain players catch up to the play or do not catch up at all. You appreciate the whole spectacle of this now very fast game that has pushed human capacity to its limit.
Nervous Fremantle Fan
Saturday afternoon I was able to do something rare and uncommon. Go to a game with my Dad, Uncle and Cousin to watch our team play. No, I was not in Perth. I was in Melbourne still and it was off to Marvel Stadium to watch Western Bulldogs host Fremantle.
Nervous. I was really nervous. Fremantle had drawn or lost in the last three games. The previous game against Melbourne was lost at home in Perth. After reaching as a high as fourth on the ladder the drop was in full swing. Fremantle needed two wins minimum to stay in the finals.
Western Bulldogs were valiant in their loss against Geelong last week. The ‘Dogs first half was very good. Unfortunately Geelong confirmed why they are top of the ladder this year. Like Fremantle the ‘Dogs dropped down a few places. A few more places than Fremantle and sat outside the final eight.
Bulldogs Were Flat
The game began very well for the Doggies. Caleb Weightman sliced through the Fremantle defence to kick the first goal of the game. Then Fremantle’s Rory Lobb marked and goaled, followed by Matt Tabner also marking and kicking true for goal.
There was a flatness to the game. It was hard to tell if this was due to Fremantle’s defensive pressure or the ‘Dogs being flat. It was frustrating the ‘Dogs supporters. Then came the free kicks.
I have never agreed with the fan reflex to call out “BALL!” every time a player gets control of the ball and then immediately gets tackled. As the game continued the desperation which the ‘Dogs fans cried out for the umpire to adjudge any Fremantle player in that situation holding the ball escalated.
Three Fifty Metre Penalties
When the first of the three fifty metre penalties were given, the fan frustration increased. The problem being that the free kicks appeared to be in Fremantle’s favour. The free kicks given in total were 18 to 14 in favour of the Bulldogs. It was the context of each free kick that angered the fans.
Looking at the game from our viewpoint there were decisions not made against Fremantle. To further incense the ‘Dogs fans on two occasions free kicks were not given against Fremantle player sand then as soon as the Bulldog player gained possession of the ball free kick was called against the Bulldogs.
Add to this anger and righteous indignation another two fifty metre penalties. All three given as the Bulldogs were in their forward half. The howls were a raucous cacophony after the third fifty metre penalty, Had this been a local game and fans could forcibly gain access to the umpire’s, I would have been concerned for their safety.
Umpiring Is Hard
Umpiring is hard. The Australian Football League has, for each game, seven umpires and an eighth off the ground incase one of the umpires gets injured. Three main umpires control the game and have to make decisions in a game that flows freely end to end. No offside rule and on a ground that is often over 150 metres log.
The guidance from the AFL to the umpires is to not guess at infringements. If they are not certain, to put whistle away and let the game play on. I heard this the next afternoon on the ABC sport program. It makes sense. But not when the fans see a clear violation and the umpire cannot.
There was a clear drop of the ball by Fremantle’s James Aish. If it was given there would have been a kick just outside 50 metres from the Bulldogs goal. For us in the top tier of the stadium you could see it clearly. The umpires position was on ground level with three or four players obfuscating the view.
Were the Bulldog’s fans right. Well yes and no. Just because you see a free kick does not mean the umpire does. The AFL guidance is to not guess a decision, and fans do call for holding the ball automatically. Is it a tradition to get angry at the umpire, yes. Is it good for football, no.
Phillip Hall has been too long in Melbourne to see AFL in the same light as those back in Fremantle. East Fremantle born and bred, he would love to see the Dockers back in the eight. But would settle for just beating West Coast twice a year.