Free kick count???

[GSG]

I was away interstate and did not see the game, nor got it on the radio.
I assume we played badly, but still, I was shocked to see the free kick count – 29-10.

I’m not saying we didn’t deserve the frees against us, but II find it hard to believe that the Eagles, particularly with a few young, inexperienced players, were so perfect as to only cause 10 frees against them.

19 more free kicks is one hell of a lot more and if only one third resulted in goals, well….

I remember a few games over in the West where free kicks against Freo or West Coast were very liberally overlooked.

But, as I said, I didn’t see the game, so I can’t really make a judgement.

Can anybody enlighten me?

[The Saintsational Man]

We weren't getting to the ball first.

They got themselves into position first to receive the free kicks.

[Dan Warna]

We weren't getting to the ball first.

They got themselves into position first to receive the free kicks.

not always true.

a lot of iffy push in the backs against us, also a few dodgy holding the ball decisions/tackles.

Ball, Lenny, Dal Santo and monty did what looked like text book tackles and were given as push in the backs.

two against Goddard and Blake when they didn't even touch the opposition players were paid frees after spilling the mark.

[saintsRrising]

See..

http://www.saintsational.com/forum/view ... hp?t=45130

[St DAC]

The 2 against Goddard and 1 against Gilbert were absolutely there. They had hands in the back, and under the current interpretation of the rule, were a free kick all day. Some of the other frees given were debatable, but those 3 were not IMO.

[Mr Magic]

It wasn't so much that WCE didn't deserve their 29 free kicks (although some were very soft, others puzzling and some appeared plain wrong).

It was more a case of teh ones that we weren't paid when similar ones to the Cokers were.

It was simply amazing that all 3 umpires consistantly 'missed' the fress for us but didn't seem to 'miss' them for teh Cokers.

[ozrulestrace]

I would think for an average game there would probably be no more than 5-6 kicks difference between any two clubs in the free kick tally at a game.
For the 29-10 which is nothing more than a disgrace it meant:
the Saints got an average of 2.5 kicks per quarter, that is no more than 3 in one quarter and maybe 2 in a couple of others-out of 25 mins plus of game time?
The Weagles who we kept getting told were a young and inexperienced team managed to play such a perfect game that they only infringed against St Kilda no more than 2.5 times in any one quarter. At one stage I think in one quarter three free kicks were paid to the Wealges just as they switched play across the ground.
Diving is back-hence frees to them and tunnelling is back, none to us.
Meanwhile wicked and evil St Kilda were obviously mean and wicked in their play disregarding every rule of the game and had to be instructed as such.
And when either Glen Jakovich or Tony Shaw neither of whom could hide their support for the Weagles even muttered at one stage that a Wealges player had thrown the ball to his team-mate right in front of the umpire it was "Play on" and you could hear the disbelief in their voices.
I defy anyone to think that such a spanking doesn't destroy the soul of a team and all motivation to win is lost. BJ should have just walked off telling the umpire to just kick it for the Weagles- memories of the Freo game , the game dubbed "Whispers in the sky" same targeting, same result.
I thought it was just us, but after Alistair Clarkeson's comments re the Hawthorn v Geelong game, then it's a problem across the umpiring-personal bias, team bias, home ground bias and use of crowd emotion to make a decision which to me means "rank amateur rules ok" both at the Geesch's level and AFL level.
One has to wonder...........

[Red]

I have no problem with the free kick count. Schneider, McQ and Lenny

gave away some really stupid ones. West Coast were harder at it and

deserved to win the game. We were just luck they are shyte or we could

have being smashed.

[saintbrat]

Frees against
St Kilda
Schneider-5
Hayes - 3
Goddard -3
Gardiner- 3
Foisher s- 2
Eddy R - 2
Blake- 2
Mcqualter - 2
Armitage - 1
Dempster - 1
Gilbert - 1
Fiora - 1
Milne - 1
King- 1
Montagna -1

Frees for
Ball- 2
Riewoldt - 2
Fiora - 2
Hudgton- 1
King - 1
Dal Santo - 1
Hayes -1