Mark Robinson ERUPTS over umpire dissent after Hawthorn debacle

The furore over AFL players holding their arms out has escalated, with a host of former AFL greats slamming a decision to issue a 50-metre penalty because Hawthorn players made the gesture while looking at replays on the big screen during their win over Geelong.

The AFL made the announcement in the pre-season that players holding their arms out to remonstrate with umpires would give away a 50-metre free kick for umpire abuse.

But the rule was largely ignored until last Thursday when Brisbane Lion Harris Andrews drew a whistle for the offence. 

Criticism of the way the law is applied reached fever pitch during Hawthorn’s win on Monday, when two Hawks were done for raising their arms while watching a big-screen replay of a dubious free kick paid to Tom Hawkins. 

AFL 360 co-host Mark Robinson said the AFL was stripping the game of all its personality.

‘That [arms out] is not dissent, that is frustration,’ he said.

‘This is disgraceful. This is the worst comment I’ve ever heard an umpire make in my time in football – even before my time because I’ve watched a lot of TV and football: ‘Arms out, 50m.’

Robinson’s outburst was prompted when Hawks players Sam Frost and Tom Mitchell were watching a replay during the match and pointed the footage out to the referee, who immediately issued a 50-metre penalty against them. 

The incident in question happened midway through the third quarter with the Hawks hanging onto a two-point lead. Frost was competing for the ball with Geelong star Tom Hawkins and gave away a free kick for a block.

‘There’s not a lot defenders can do there,’ commentator Cameron Ling said.

‘Sam Frost is playing on the best key forward in the game, one of the biggest and strongest to play the game and was tackling his body – you have to do that as a defender.

‘There’s just nothing else that Frost could have done there.’

Then the situation escalated. As Frost stood at marker with his hands up, the umpire yelled: ‘Fifty metres, abuse.’

‘Just to really rub salt in the wound,’ Ling said.

Frost was left stunned by the decision that allowed Geelong’s star forward Tom Hawkins to walk  up the field and kick a goal that put the Cats in front in the third quarter

As Frost went to seek clarification from the umpire, he replied: ‘You’re both looking at the screen and then you had your arms out at me. It’s umpire respect, OK?’ 

A huge number of players got away with putting their arms out over the weekend of football, but this incident involving the screen was the final straw for many AFL greats with Garry Lyon saying the rule had reached crisis point.

‘We’re sitting here at Fox Footy and I counted up about 1800 games of experience and I went around and asked everyone and they all had steam coming out of their ears. There is a crisis,’ he said on Fox Footy.

‘They took a really hard stance early and now we’re in a situation five rounds in and this is what frustrates supporters, it frustrates commentators, it frustrates players even more when no one really knows what is going on in terms of umpire dissension.’ 

After being told that he was holding the man, George Hewett remonstrated with officials. Port would have been able to kick the match-winning goal had he surrendered a 50.

Speaking on a panel on SEN radio, Collingwood great Nathan Buckley said there was nothing disrespectful about a player putting their arms out.

‘I think there are things being penalised at the moment that are not disrespectful,’ he said.

‘[Melbourne’s] Tom McDonald put his hands out in a practice match and I thought he must’ve said something … what I realise now is the reason the free kick was paid was because he put his arms out. If I knew that at the time five weeks ago, I would’ve thought this was doomed for failure.

‘You can’t penalise a player (for that) because it is not disrespectful.’

A controversial goal was scored by Max King against the Suns after he appeared to push Jy Farrar. Even though Farrar raised his arms at the umpires, he didn’t give away a free kick

Seven reporter Nick McCallum said the AFL initiative was set to backfire and would have the reverse effect when it comes to umpire respect.

‘AFL affirms umpires who did not pay 50 metres against ALL players who raised their arms at contentious decisions over the weekend screwed up. They will be told they must do so. Games will be decided by such penalties … that won’t increase respect for umpires ,rather the opposite,’ he Tweeted.