Boss slams bad bounce conspiracy theory

AFL football chief Steve Hocking has slammed suggestions a silent umpire protest is behind a rash of bad bounces.

After a contentious round three of the AFL season, Hocking convened a press conference on Monday to address a number of issues, which also included high free kicks, deliberate out of bounds and lengthy score reviews. A run of recalled bounces this season has given rise to the theory that umpires are deliberately bouncing poorly in a display of their discontent at the retention of the bounce.

The umpiring fraternity campaigned hard to have the bounce scrapped at the end of last season, citing injury concerns, but Hocking was a key figure in saving it.

Geelong coach Chris Scott floated the protest theory with a tongue-in-cheek comment on Fox Footy’s AFL 360 after round two.

But it has grown legs to the point Hocking addressed it with reporters yesterday.

“I think any time you go to the integrity of the umpires I think it’s disgraceful. I’d like to call that out,” Hocking said.

“I think their integrity is absolutely unquestionable.

“[It’s] human error and that happens right throughout the game.”

Hocking said the vast majority of bounces were fine, but conceded there had been some issues over the past two rounds.

He backed umpires to either throw it up or rotate a more proficient umpire into the centre square.

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson put shrugging or ducking by players to draw high free kicks on the agenda when he cautioned Cats skipper Joel Selwood against the practice.

His remarks earned a stinging rebuke from his Geelong counterpart. Hocking was keen not to get between the coaches, but stressed shrugging or ducking should not be rewarded.

“With the head-high tackling ... umpires are trained to look for the legal tackle initially and if that’s been executed to the level it should be and then there’s a shrugging motion it’s clearly play on,” he said.

“But if a tackle starts high and ends high, it’s a clear free kick.”