2017 Rd 8: After Game Analysis: Carlton vs St Kilda

[Wet Willie]

I try to avoid blaming the umpires because generally they get things right and you are left with 50/50 decisions for both teams right across the game...

But the thing that really bothers me, and it's not exclusive to today's game, is when a game has been an arm wrestle for the entire match - goal for goal - and then, an umpire pulls out a 50 metre penalty on a fatigued 18 year old kid to move the ball to within scoring range with five minutes remaining in the game.  The resulting goal places the game in a position where the competition has ended due to a score that has been manufactured rather than played for.

This isolated act impacted the result of the match in a completely unfair way that places game's integrity into question.

The game is not resolved by two teams playing on a level field.  It gets decided on the whim of an official who gets a rush of blood and wants to be involved in the drama of the game.

It killed what was an intriguing contest between two very even teams...although one team with a six point bonus when they needed it most.