AFL – Rob's blog https://www.topendsports.com/rob from Topend Sports Wed, 01 May 2024 06:38:44 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.2.6 39014565 Is an AFL 10th Umpire needed? https://www.topendsports.com/rob/technology/is-an-afl-10th-umpire-needed/ Sun, 18 Sep 2011 12:25:28 +0000 http://www.topendsports.com/rob/?p=657 I have previously discussed whether soccer should have a video referee and after being at an AFL game last night I believe there is a good argument for using video or other technology to adjudicate close goal-line decisions in AFL too.

Not far from me I saw two incidents where it was a close call whether the ball actually crossed the goal line, and from my position, the umpire did not seem to get it right. I have not had the opportunity to see a reply which was surely shown to the home viewers of the match.

Shot at Goal

If the TV viewers can get to see a slow-motion reply of such situations immediately after the fact, why can’t they refer close calls to an off-field umpire who can watch the same video and then refer their decision back to the field umpires? Rugby union has had such a system for a while now, and international cricket and tennis matches are also using a referral system. It is time for the AFL to join the other major sports.

There are already nine umpires on the field in AFL matches: three field umpires, four boundary umpires, and two goal umpires. There is an emergency umpire, who is the tenth. He is currently there as a possible replacement if needed, and is also responsible for monitoring behind-the-play incidents. It would not be too much to ask this umpire to also be responsible for reviewing the video replays when they arise. I have a personal reason for these views – last night my team the Blues lost by 3 points and are out of the finals, if only a video referee system was in place the result may have been different.

Related Pages: About AFL, Technology in Sports

]]> 657 Beyond the Wave https://www.topendsports.com/rob/sport/afl/beyond-the-wave/ Thu, 05 Oct 2006 21:17:12 +0000 http://topendsports.com/rob/2006/10/19/beyond-the-wave/ I have just finished reading a book, “Beyond the Wave” by Trisha Broadbridge. It was one of those books that when you start you just can’t put it down. It wasn’t because it was well written or anything – I was just curious to read a first-hand account of a major disaster. The sporting link made it more interesting.

Tsunami
Tsunami

The book is about the events leading up to and following the Tsunami disaster on Boxing Day 2004, in which Trisha’s husband Troy, and AFL player, was killed. The message I got from this story is that we cannot take anything for granted.

No matter how big and strong you are, the human body is still pretty fragile. We have to make the most of every day. In the words of one sporting company, ‘Just do it!’

Related Pages: AFL

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