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Will video kill the umpire?

By Mr Dandalooa

There is a growing chorus of people urging the introduction of a video umpire following a raft of umpire errors last season irking AFL spectators.

In the this year’s grand final, the grand stage of football excellence, a kick by Geelong’s Tom Hawkins clearly deflected off the post but was ruled by the goal umpire standing under the ball as a goal.

That costly error has forced the AFL to consider using a video umpire, much like what is used in the cricket.

Millions of people at home saw that that Hawkins’ goal was in fact a behind and could have had bigger ramifications had Geelong lost.

The game basically hung in the balance until the final moments after that umpire’s mistake, despite strong Geelong protests.

While the replay moments swiftly confirmed the ball was touched, had that been used to make the right decision, there would be less questions raised in games.

There are disputed goals like the Hawkins’ goal that occur in every game.

Statistics show that many games in the AFL are decided by a single goal and with that in mind it does seem that officials need to get it right, all the time.

Last season, 26 games were decided by a goal or less. We have the technology, why not introduce a goal umpire to erase any doubt from questionable decisions?

Other professional sports use video technology or other technology to confirm goals or points, such as NFL, rugby league and rugby union, field and ice hockey as well as tennis.

If new technology can turn a grey call into black and white, then it should be embraced by the AFL.

AFL football operations manager Adrian Anderson said while there are valid arguments to the debate for video umpires, the flow of games should not be interrupted for video rulings.

But wouldn’t you rather a one minute wait if it meant your team was awarded the goal they deserved and not get ripped off? Especially in the GF.

Perhaps umpires will not want to be undermined by technology and maybe a chorus from the Australian Football League Umpires Association will make debate rage on.

But I do believe this issue should be out in the public forum for vigorous debate because let’s face it, we’re in a technology age and AFL has become big business.

And big business means bigger stakes. And bigger stakes are derived by big investment.