Players can query decisions ‘respectfully’: Umpires chief

AFL Umpires Association chief Rob Kerr says players can still “respectfully” query on-field decisions, but a crackdown on abuse was overdue.

Kerr, who has held multiple positions in the football industry, said umpires welcomed the AFL’s stance. A shift was noticeable last year when league headquarters appealed Toby Greene’s initial suspension of three matches for making intentional contact with umpire Matt Stevic. Greene was later handed a six-match ban.

Under this season’s tightened ruling, players cannot remonstrate with an umpire, a stance that not all have quickly embraced. The Demons conceded six 50-metre penalties for this reason against Carlton last Thursday, while Richmond star Jack Riewoldt was another to pay the price during the Tigers’ pre-season game against the Hawks.

Christian Petracca reacts after a 50m penalty is paid against the Demons on Thursday night.Credit:AFL Photos

Kerr, the former AFL Players Association chief and football department head with Brisbane and Essendon, said the time for change had come.

“There has probably been a slow slipping of standards in that place,” he said.

“It is not unusual to see three, four players standing in there, surrounding an umpire. I think there is a little bit of a knock-on down to the community level. You have to remember at the community level they don’t have the protection and the support that the AFL umpires do. They are probably an even more vulnerable group.

“The growth of the game is dependent on attracting a good number of umpires. If people are umpiring, it should be a positive experience for them.”

Carlton coach Michael Voss confirmed players had been warned about the crackdown over summer by umpires during intra-club matches. The AFL had also publicly released its revised stance.

“My understanding is that the umpires have done a lot of club visits and they have informed the players and umpired to that,” Kerr said.

“They [players] are now in match-day mode. The emotions run a bit higher. I think plenty of other sports have demonstrated it is possible for players to manage themselves in the heat of battle.

“I think over time AFL players will do the same. I have heard players talk about the shift, I heard [Geelong star and AFLPA president] Patrick Dangerfield talk about it, and he seemed very supportive so players by and large understand why it is important. It will just be adapting to the shift that has been made.”

Kerr said players could still query a call.

“They [players] can respectfully ask about a decision. This often gets thrown up, in rugby union or rugby league even, they manage it. There are players who query decisions, but they always do it pretty respectfully,” he said.

“Rugby union, in particular, they will always say sir. We are not asking for that, but we are just asking that the interactions are respectful in their nature.”

Kerr said there was a shortfall of about 6000 umpires in community football, and even then the figures were distorted by so many being young or in the older bracket, aged 50 years or more. The sweet spot is to have more umpires in their 20s and 30s, but the abuse – whether from players or spectators – has been the biggest issue.

“I think it is probably the biggest issue for umpiring in general. The AFL umpires are aware of it and don’t like it. They are a fair bit more protected and secure than your community umpire. But, by the same token, no one enjoys being abused and players are very conscious of mental health issues,” Kerr said.

“Umpires are the same. If you remove that element from the experience, it’s basically a better vocation and more attractive vocation. The match-day experience is a better one for the umpire.”

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