Pundit wants umpire issues fixed

CAROLINE Wilson has lamented the current umpiring crisis in the AFL after yet another controversial weekend of football.

The crackdown on umpire abuse was in the spotlight during round five, with several 50-metre penalties paid for players raising their arms protesting decisions.

With AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan announcing last week he was stepping down at the end of 2022, Wilson urged him to attempt to sort out the current problems with umpire respect before his tenure ends.

“[Gillon McLachlan’s number one priority] has got to fix the umpiring problem,” Wilson said on Don’t Shoot The Messenger podcast.

“You can’t fix it in the next six months clearly, but he’s set on this path. He apologised to the umpires on behalf of the AFL and the game at the start of the season.

“Everyone is carrying on about players lifting up their arms and protesting decisions and having 50-metre penalties paid against them. Be consistent and pay the penalties.

“There is an umpiring crisis, umpires can probably stop being too matey with players and perhaps be a bit more formal.

“I just think it’s one area the NRL seems to be better than the AFL, we desperately need more umpires.

“Now with 18 women’s teams, there aren’t enough umpires, and we need to provide better pathways for women umpires.

“Everyone has to stop carrying on about poor umpiring, players make mistakes all the time and we don’t carry on about their mistakes like we do about umpires.

“I just think this is such a big problem.”

– BY LAURENCE ROSEN/ SEN