Consistent calls the key, says Hardwick
RICHMOND coach Damien Hardwick has no problems with AFL umpires paying more free kicks – as long as they are consistent.
Umpires have paid fewer free kicks in the past few weeks amid an ongoing discussion in the game about the rules and how they are policed.
Carlton star Chris Judd said yesterday there was excessive tinkering with the rules and players were finding it much harder to play on instinct.
‘‘You certainly get a general gist of the rules or how they’re going to be interpreted watching the Friday night game,’’ Hardwick said.
‘‘The thing that we just like as a . . . fraternity is just the consistency.
‘‘My theory . . . is the rules are the rules.
‘‘If they’re there, pay the free kicks.’’
Hardwick added umpires were now perhaps not paying enough free kicks in some areas.
‘‘The first five or six weeks, I know where they copped a lot of criticism . . . I was pretty happy,’’ he said.
‘‘ I probably feel they’ve gone away a little bit from rewarding the ball carrier.
‘‘You’ll see the stoppages have gone up – they’ve probably gone away from rewarding that second tackler in.
‘‘That’s probably the one I think they can be a little more diligent on.’’
The Tigers coach is also unfazed by umpires’ boss Jeff Gieschen talking to Essendon coach James Hird before the Bombers played Richmond in round 9.
‘‘I’m not sure – I’m only going on what I’ve heard from someone else,’’ Hardwick said.
‘‘To me, it was a non-issue – it had no bearing on the result.
‘‘I don’t think there was anything malicious in it.’’