Prior Opportunity and Incorrect Disposal

One thing I LOVE seeing on the footy field is a beautifully laid tackle.  Unfortunately, 90% of the time there's no way in hell that tackle will be properly rewarded.  It's very annoying, and makes it harder to introduce people to the game when the rules are applied inconsistently.

In the game of Australian Rules Football, there are only two ways to dispose of the ball legally.  That is a) holding the ball in your hand and striking it with your fist a.k.a handballing or b) kicking it.  You are also allowed to punch the ball away from you if it's in the vicinity.  Disposing of the ball by any other means should incur a free kick.  However, this is almost NEVER the case.  Players are constantly dropping the ball in tackles in order to avoid getting pinged.  As far as I am concerned, a drop is as good as a throw - blow that whistle umpy!

The OTHER issue is a little thing known as "Prior Opportunity".  It refers to how long the player had between receiving the ball and the tackle being completed.  If a player takes a mark, ops to play on and is then tackled, that should be a free kick to the tackler, as the tacklee had the opportunity to dispose of the ball in a legal fashion and didn't take it.  If a player is given a 360 spin in a tackle with both hands free, then he deserves to be pinged - he should have handballed it off while he was swinging around. 

Finally, it seems to location of the tackle has a bearing on whether it gets paid or not.  It doesn't.  The rules are the same in the centre square as they are in the goalsquare.  There should be no bullcrap about "the flow of the game".  There is simply a black and white rule that clearly states what the infringements are, and if an umpire sees an infringement upon the rules, then he blows his whistle and a free kick is awarded.  It's time to reward players who do the right thing, and punish the players who break the rules, whether intentionalyl or through their own stupidity - they're professionals, and should know the rules by now.

The Score Review System.

If the scums had lost today, especially by less than a goal, I reckon they would have had cause to despute the result.

The Score Review System that the AFL thought they were so smart bringing in is a complete and utter failure.  How many times has the umpire gone to the review, only for it to be sent back "Inconclusive - goal umpires decision".  WHAT WAS THE FREAKING POINT?! Especially, ESPECIALLY, as we saw in the demons/scums game, the umpire was WRONG, and it's plain with anyone who has half a brain cell.

It's almost as if they have some guy sitting up in his cushy little box thinking "Brill, free footy game!", when suddenly he gets summoned to do his job and it's like "Crap! Whatever, wait a minute and a half and then come back inconclusive, I can't be bothered making a decision."  It's not good enough.  There should NOT be an "inconclusive" option - the AFL should have taken the time and the effort to bring in a system that would be definitive and accurate.  If it meant more money for more cameras, then so be it.  If it meant trialling cameras in different positions around the goalposts and the ground, then so be it.  Bringing in this half-hearted bullcrap has only brought in more angst and speculation.

If you're going to do something, then do it properly.  Don't bring in something that only causes more problems.

In other news, my cat likes eating footy players.


Weird animal.