Nathan MottonLet umps recall bounce for the sake of fairness
April 21st 2008 05:30
The traditional centre bounce should not be in question. The problem is the umpires inability to call back their mistake.
Common sense must prevail.
This scribe, the traditionalist that he is, doesn't believe the ball should be thrown up. Human element is one of the great things about our game, and to throw it up would just align it even more closely with that despicable sport called basketball.
On Saturday night North Melbourne was handed a valuable centre clearance after umpire Damien Sully's bounce went towards the Kanagaroo's end (almost at right angles) and almost down the throat of Adam Simpson.
Simpson kicked the ball inside 50, and Ed Lower swooped on the loose ball, to kick a vital goal in the dying stages of the final term.
Sully did not call his errant bounce back, simply because AFL rules don't allow him to.
Umpires boss Jeff Gieschen said; "If it's a bad bounce, it's an automatic play on. That's the instruction given to the umpires."
That instruction needs to be amended. Fast.
The bounce cannot be blamed for Collingwood losing the game. But such was the nature of the bounce, a Kangaroos clearance and subsequent inside 50 could not have been stopped.
Players practice stoppages relentlessly during the week. And they practice them on the premise that the ball will wind up in the air, in the middle of opposing ruckmen, or thereabouts.
They cannot possibly expect that the ball could end up 20 metres left or right of where they anticipated.
Damien Sully will most likely be dropped this weekend.
But it's not his fault. He is merely a victim of a ridiculous rule that is not in step with the game in 2008.
The bounce should be left to the umpires discretion.
To implement such a rule would at least ensure the game is played on an even playing field, from the moment it is bounced. Not thrown up.
Common sense must prevail.
This scribe, the traditionalist that he is, doesn't believe the ball should be thrown up. Human element is one of the great things about our game, and to throw it up would just align it even more closely with that despicable sport called basketball.
On Saturday night North Melbourne was handed a valuable centre clearance after umpire Damien Sully's bounce went towards the Kanagaroo's end (almost at right angles) and almost down the throat of Adam Simpson.
Sully did not call his errant bounce back, simply because AFL rules don't allow him to.
Umpires boss Jeff Gieschen said; "If it's a bad bounce, it's an automatic play on. That's the instruction given to the umpires."
That instruction needs to be amended. Fast.
The bounce cannot be blamed for Collingwood losing the game. But such was the nature of the bounce, a Kangaroos clearance and subsequent inside 50 could not have been stopped.
Players practice stoppages relentlessly during the week. And they practice them on the premise that the ball will wind up in the air, in the middle of opposing ruckmen, or thereabouts.
They cannot possibly expect that the ball could end up 20 metres left or right of where they anticipated.
Damien Sully will most likely be dropped this weekend.
But it's not his fault. He is merely a victim of a ridiculous rule that is not in step with the game in 2008.
The bounce should be left to the umpires discretion.
To implement such a rule would at least ensure the game is played on an even playing field, from the moment it is bounced. Not thrown up.
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