INVERLEIGH COACH SLAMS VIDEO
INVERLEIGH coach Mark McDowell has hit out at the quality of official GDFL match footage after Dalton Grundell was suspended for three matches on Tuesday night.
The Hawks’ reigning bestand-fairest winner copped an extra match after unsuccessfully challenging a set twomatch ban for charging Winchelsea co-captain Alex Gubbins.
McDowell argued McDowell had “eyes on the ball, made every attempt to avoid contact” and was not helped by the “disgraceful” quality of the video shown at the tribunal.
He has raised his concerns with GDFL officials, who have passed those on to the company contracted to film the matches.
“The quality of the footage was disgraceful, it was out of focus and wasn’t zoomed in, simple,” McDowell said after Tuesday night’s hearing upon learning of the three-match ban.
“I haven’t been happy with them (match videos) all year — the quality, the focus, zoom in, zoom out, the timeliness in uploading them.
“I go to review games and give players feedback (and the videos aren’t always there) … and I think you’ll find out from a lot of coaches that they haven’t been happy with the quality of it.” GDFL president Neville Whitley said all parties — the league, Music Workshop and the clubs — were working to improve the quality of the footage after McDowell lodged his feedback over the weekend.
“It’s a single camera … there can be a bit of difficulty zooming in at times,” Whitley said.
“The camera looked too far away (on Saturday). Play was on the other part of the ground.
“But you’ve got to find the people to do it and when they’re training people up, it’s sometimes not always perfect.”
Music Workshop store manager Deniel Bee said his crew were often confronted with a number of challenges on match day. “The biggest issue our guys have is they’re put on the back of a ute in whatever weather there is, and they’re sometimes standing under tarps and dealing with things like fog on the lens,” said Bee, a former Bannockburn president.
“The umpires like width (to review their) positioning, some clubs like that as well, then some coaches like it close and the interleague coaches like it close up, so it’s a varied approach.”
Given the Grundell incident happened in the forward line, Bee said “without four cameras you’re not going to get side on when you’re shooting from the wing”.
Clubs will also work to pro- vide more elevated vantage points at their grounds to help the camera crews out, within OH&S regulations.
Speaking from a personal level and not on behalf of the league, Whitley said players should not be punished with extra matches for unsuccessful tribunal challenges, saying they should have the right to take on a set penalty.
McDowell said Grundell was having “a super consistent year” and would leave a hole in the side ahead of matches against Bannockburn, North Geelong and Werribee Centrals. Spearhead Jak KennedyHunt (quad) is unlikely to play against the Tigers and even remains in doubt for the Magpies.