IN a weekend of footy madness, when a 13-year-old umpire at a game in Thornlie was attacked by a spectator, it was left to football’s own nutty professor Ross Lyon to offer a little sanity.
He was talking after his Fremantle side, who gave everything in defeat against the Adelaide Crows yesterday, had been on the raw end of a couple of key decisions.
“I have never really commented about umpires, even after losing Grand Finals when the ball has hit the post for a point in ’09, so I’m not going to start talking about it at a home-and-away game,” he said.
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“Our umpires have an incredibly difficult game to umpire, I think they do a very good job.”
Ross, who has been known to line up people in the media, other clubs and even his own staff for a verbal barrage, knows better than to sledge the umps.
One decision that drew the ire of fans involved Brad Hill throwing a few blades of grass at a Crow lining up for goal, an act which was more pantomime than put-off.
So if Ross, whose livelihood is dictated by the bounce of a ball, can’t bring himself to have a crack at the umpires after a Grand Final loss, what makes people think it’s ok to go on the field and rage at a kid who’s given up his morning?
The vision, and all the seething chaos in it, should serve as a ‘how-not-to-behave’ guide for parents of a sporting child. It was disgusting.
The match, between Thornlie and Maddington – who, it’s been confirmed, weren’t playing for sheep stations – was abandoned.
The umpire received minor injuries and WA Football Commission CEO Gavin Taylor said they were talking to him to determine whether he’d be prepared to umpire again this weekend.
Personally, I’d be going elsewhere.
Can these Eagles boldly go where no Eagles have gone before?
If the Dockers were gallant and lost, the Eagles were gun-shy and won.
The premiers carved out a 42-point lead against Gold Coast before going into their shell and limping over the line.
It’s hard to put a finger on just what is up at West Coast.
Certainly they’re missing Tom Barrass, who frees up Jeremy McGovern to do Jeremy McGovern things.
But in comparison to the rest of the league, the Eagles’ list is remarkably healthy at the minute.
Largely, it seems between the ears.
If the first seven rounds have shown us anything, it’s that it’s anybody’s flag.
And the reigning champs need to switch on.