Kennedy spoke about the impact on umpires’ bodies and the fact that it hampered the promotion of otherwise competent umpires. The bounce,along with the running demands of about 15 kilometres per game,is also seen as a deterrent to women entering the umpiring pathway. But,in a devastating decision for the majority of the senior umpires,the commission blocked removing one of the game’s long-standing traditions. Financial constraints also now stand in the way of introducing an extra umpire to reduce the running toll.
A renewed push to limit the centre bounce to open play at the start of each quarter is expected to be inherited by the next AFL chief executive.
It was Hocking who decreed last year that the umpires move their home base to Marvel Stadium to be situated alongside the game’s review hub,known as the ARC. It is almost three seasons since the AFL umpires were sent packing from their Ikon Park headquarters.
Regularly moved back then from the main oval to Princes Park’s under-curated No.2 ground to make way for Vic Metro or,occasionally,the Blues mens’ teams or,later,Carlton’s AFLW side,some senior umpires would now say that,looking back,the grass was significantly greener.
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For a start,they trained together,they had access to a gymnasium and more plentiful rehab facilities. COVID-19 struck soon after the Ikon Park rebuilding,in which the umpires and their memorabilia were removed from their home base,and since then the umpires only come together once a week - for about three hours each Tuesday - for coaching purposes.
Unlike AFL players,the nature of their work forced them to train alone during the pandemic with GPS units and that trend has continued.
Following an ill-fated move during the 2021 pre-season to the Victoria University oval at Footscray,where there was no bathroom on-site,limited parking and the regular presence of community sporting teams led to disjointed sessions,the Marvel Stadium move was announced,but that ground was unavailable over the pre-season due to Big Bash cricket.
It is unclear why Marvel remained off-limits to the umpires while AFL practice games were taking place,or why they were not granted access until round three. So,the umpires were moved to Collingwood’s training ground in the Olympic Park precinct. The goal umpires train at Victoria Park but cost,council and availability issues have deemed the Magpies’ old home ground off-limits to the field and boundary umpires.
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It is also unclear whether the next CBA negotiation will address senior field umpire list management. Having been reduced from 40 several years ago to 34 - which created significant issues during the pandemic - the bigger issue is that the game’s best umpires are either pushing,or are over,the age of 40.
Only three umpiring list changes have taken place over the past two seasons,and one since last season,with Essendon District Football League and AFLW umpire Michael Pell promoted this year for the retiring Dean Margetts,making his immediate debut in round one. But a significant number of umpires remain satisfied with the list status quo,and it is unclear as to just where the next pay negotiations will place umpiring development on the list of priorities.
After the competition committee met shortly before Easter andreinforced the crackdown on umpire dissent,it was left to Dillon’s key football lieutenant Brad Scott,who has placed a renewed focus on umpiring,to reinforce the AFL’s stand in the face of some significant criticism from the media and some players.
“Our message to players is that when an umpire pays a free kick,” said Scott,“accept it and move on,and our message to umpires is[that] we encourage you to continue to pay free kicks or 50-metre penalties where players have shown dissent.”
The umpires have also been discouraged from feeling the need to verbally explain their decision-making process in the heat of battle. While the AFL insists that the umpires have found this season significantly less stressful,and the umpires rallied around Andrew Stephens andhis decision to stand firm on Harris Andrews and the contentious 50-metre penalty handed to Darcy Moore,several remain uncomfortable with the confronting nature of the significant cultural shift,not to mention uncomfortable in handing out harsh penalties for incidents that always in the past went unchecked.
As McLachlan admitted,the game had allowed umpire abuse to get out of hand and had let it go relatively unpunished for too long. In the short term,though,the harsh correction remains uncomfortable for the game’s officiators.
Off the field,there is strong evidence to suggest that,in practical terms,the development of umpires and their working conditions,for so long a “too hard basket” issue for a long line of AFL bosses,remains,if no longer an afterthought,then still a lower order priority where the game’s wallet is concerned.
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