There have been calls from two AFL greats to soften what level of umpire ‘dissent’ constitutes a 50-metre penalty after two controversial decisions on the weekend.
St Kilda defender Callum Wilkie and midfielder Jack Steele both had a 50-metre penalty paid against them, directly resulting in goals on both occasions against Fremantle on Sunday.
While the Saints would eventually prevail by 15 points at Marvel Stadium, the two instances raised questions over what constituted genuine umpire dissent as well as what penalty was sufficient for such dissent.
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The incidents follow a crackdown last year on umpire dissent, with the AFL looking to stamp it out given a shortage of umpires at local and junior levels.
Former North Melbourne player David King said the crackdown on dissent was warranted, but what could be deemed as dissent remained an issue.
“The player is pointing to the screen, is that really dissent? I grant that it’s not a great look, but I don’t think they’re really going after the umpire,” King said on Fox Footy’s First Crack.
“They’re frustrated, they’re challenging, ‘hey look, I’m telling you he didn’t mark that, I’m telling you I got a hand to that’. This is really gentle and have a look at that, bang, 50 metres.
“The penalty is overs, it’s two gifted goals, this team (Fremantle) only scored seven.
“I’m not saying they wouldn’t have kicked those goals, but gee whiz they were 20 per cent chances and they were absolute gimmes in the end. I think we have a look at that.”
Former Port Adelaide midfielder Kane Cornes said Sunday’s decisions were an example of good intentions going too far.
“When have we become that sensitive as an industry that a player can’t look at the replay screen and point to an error that has been made by an umpire, respectfully?” he said on SEN Breakfast.
“There was nothing demonstrative from the two that I saw at Marvel Stadium on Sunday … because we don’t have a head of football at the AFL no one has explained that that’s the actual interpretation now.
“When have we become so sensitive in this game? Toughen up if umpires can’t handle that.”