FINALS UMPIRES COP FRESH FLAK

EX-ST Kilda coach Grant Thomas says the infiltration of on-field “umpire coaching” is ruining the finals.

Saturday night’s Brisbane-greater Western Sydney thriller was overshadowed by a series of audible directives from the men in green captured by the TV microphones.

“I just find it extraordinary some of the things I hear said during a game of football by the umpires,” Thomas said.

“Some of them out there are trying to play their own footy careers through AFL players.

“During a hotly contested game of AFL football, especially during finals, you shouldn’t have umpires coaching and telling players where to stand, what to do, ‘don’t do this’ and ‘don’t do that’ – or ‘if you hold him again, I’ll pay a free kick’.

“Just pay the free kicks. Just adjudicate the game, but unfortunately the umpires have been put into a situation by the AFL of ‘ we are the kingpins, we are the controllers of the game’.

“I said it 15 years ago and I got a $20,000 fine but the same thing applies these days – I don’t see many kids in schools running around with umpires outfits on.

“It’s not about them – so let’s just apply the rules and not get involved in giving directions or warnings.”

Thomas said he was contacted by former AFL umpire Matthew Head on Saturday night and told the coaching of players was a directive from head office.

“It’s something the AFL umpires department trains and encourages,” Thomas said.

“This isn’t a gripe against umpires, I’ve been told it’s a really, really difficult job to do, but … it could be made a lot easier if they just stepped away from trying to coach and instruct the players.”

Umpire Shaun Ryan triggered a storm on Saturday after warning Giant Adam Kennedy to stop hitting Charlie Cameron’s injured elbow.

“Do not be knocking his arm, OK? You’ve been warned,” Ryan told the Giants defender.

“You knock his arm, it’s against the spirit of the game, OK? If you continually knock his arm, I will pay a free kick.”

Thomas said yesterday: “If a player is injured and he’s got a sore spot, well that’s bad luck. How can the AFL adjudicate whether a player is injured or not? Or whether he can or can’t be targeted?

“It’s completely illogical and completely irrational and just more evidence of the AFL meddling and trying to control the game.

“It’s not the umpires’ fault. It’s how they are coached and how they are directed by the AFL.”