Hardwick's aftermatch media conference

[Jackstar is back again]

Owl. the umpiring was poor, but you have to play to the umpires .
Didnt make the results different.
Own poor turnovers, handballing to guys that are stationary and are covered was a disgrace yesterday

[cub]

Don't blame them but they were as much to the detriment of the team as the team themselves I thought.
That Watts decision has to be up there with the worst I have ever seen.

[Oiafi]

Agree there is no point blaming umpires but by god did they effect the momentum of the game yesterday. Wouldn't be so bad without the inconsistencies and poor decisions directly resulting in Melbourne goals.

Having said that our second half of the first quarter was the biggest punch in the face we got, and that was self inflicted. When you're having to play catch up football from a fair way back you open yourselves up to poor umpiring having a bearing on the game. That was 100% our own fault.

[The Big Richo]

The Watts free kick for the Newman shepherd was a free kick was 100% correct.

The unrealistic attempt to mark from Watts was just a clever way to draw attention to the fact that Newman was blocking his run at the ball.

[blaisee]

Pretty disappointing game were none of our guns fired a shot.
Great to see viceroy continue to improve.

[Muscles]

I just viewed Dimma's press conference on the RFC site.  Too say he is filthy about the game is an understatement!  His body language said it all, but his words meant something too;

- Too many passengers.
- RFC players don't understand the holding the ball rule.
- RFC players don't understand the rushed behind rule.

Behind closed doors, I reckon he gave the boys a massive blast

[WilliamPowell]

Having said that our second half of the first quarter was the biggest punch in the face we got, and that was self inflicted. When you're having to play catch up football from a fair way back you open yourselves up to poor umpiring having a bearing on the game. That was 100% our own fault.

Post of the week - 100% spot on

The 2nd half of the first qtr is what undid us big time

We had them in that first 10-15 minutes; the most switched on we've been all season at the beginning of a game and we manage to shoot ourselves in the big toe by kicking 3.4 whn the Dees were on the back foot.... and then too top it off we somehow allowed some of the sofest goals yuo will ever see 

Disgraceful effort yesterday

And I believe Dimma did peel some paint of the wall after the game, that's what the dude from 3AW alluded too and good onya Dimma - so you bloody should 

[Judge Roughneck]

Anyone blaming the umpires today is kidding

we
lost cause we played crap

but.

If watts jumps into the back of Newman.. Watts shouldn't get a free kick.

[WilliamPowell]

Anyone blaming the umpires today is kidding

we
lost cause we played crap

but.

If watts jumps into the back of Newman.. Watts shouldn't get a free kick.

Well yeah he should if the RFC players is not looking at the ball and simply stopping Watts from getting to the contest

Ask you this if the roles were reversed and say it was our Jack as in Reiwoldt going for the mark and a Dees players say Jones did what Newman did we would has screamed for a free

[The Big Richo]

Anyone blaming the umpires today is kidding

we
lost cause we played crap

but.

If watts jumps into the back of Newman.. Watts shouldn't get a free kick.

Well yeah he should if the RFC players is not looking at the ball and simply stopping Watts from getting to the contest

Ask you this if the roles were reversed and say it was our Jack as in Reiwoldt going for the mark and a Dees players say Jones did what Newman did we would has screamed for a free

There is absolutely no doubt that the Newman free for sheperding was 100% correct. By the time Watts jumped to bring attention to what was happening the free had already occured.

It was a no-brainer as far as decisions go.

[Hellenic Tiger]

I agree with the fact that the umpiring did not cost us the game and furthermore I also agree that umpiring is in crisis.
I also believe that umpires tend to pick more questionable frees to teams that are leading well in our case we got a few early questionable in the first when we were well on top but by the end of the first when Mrs Watts got her free kick the umps had changed their tune.
Who says the umps don't look at reputations and the scoreboard. Bollocks.

[Tigermonk]

We were simply raped, no excuses. They came to play & we watched.
Only part l liked was the first 10 minutes of the game. The players fix the slow start problem, but never finished 

[Owl]

We were comprehensively beaten, Jones tore us a fresh one.  I just don't understand the umpiring atm, we are coming foul of it too often and we are going to have to address it by the way we play or something.  The Newmo kick is BS because there is no such rule that states you cannot use your eyes to check what is going on around you whilst positioning yourself when the ball is incoming.  WTF is he meant to do move out the way and allow Watts to take uncontested marks?  He made no contact with him, Hot crumpet made contact with him and if he wants to take the stuffing mark, play in front, don't go for speccies.  Please show me the rule "thought shalt allow free run to hot crumpet to take speccies"

[The Big Richo]

He did make contact though Hooter.

Check the footage again and Newman pushes back into him with his hands out in a classic sheperding pose.

He is too far from the drop of the ball to contest the mark, yet is using his body to block his opponent.

Classic shepherd.

[tiga]

Jones played like he had the "cheese touch". Seemed like nobody wanted to go near him. It was friggin frustrating to see that desert head rack up so many uncontested possies.

But Big Cho, I have to disagree on the Watts free against Newman. It was a disgrace of the highest order. Since when is it illegal for a player to hold his ground? Newman was not moving and Watts barreled into him. So what if he wasn't looking at the footy and had his arms out. The contest was coming to Newy, not the other way around.