Re: AFL Rd 23 2026 Post Game Prognostications Carlton vs Western Bulldogs at Marvel
Reply #31 –
Of course it's not just what but where that matters.
I didn't get the "play on" thing, it was evident from the very first bounce someone had changed the interpretation this week, but it only seemed to apply to us. Twice we had guys instantly called to play on for shaping to handball without moving their feet or off the mark.
Both Hewett and Walsh got mown down late well after disposal without a down field free being awarded, I recall specific cases once by Libba and once by Freijah.
Weightman was blocking our defenders well off the ball, way beyond the legal distance and without eyes for the footy, and not penalised once. On the other side of the case Dean takes the space behind the fall of the ball and gets pinged for a block. Now we can debate the right or wrong of it, but the difference between each case is the real problem because Dean and Weightman are at the same end, same umpire, etc., etc..
Also, go back and watch that infamous throw, the umpires head is in the bottom of the video feed looking straight at it, he sees what everybody else saw and decided "Computer says no!" and called play on! At no stage did the Dogs player attempt to make a fist or close his hand, he just threw it! Earlier in the game one of our blokes was penalised for a volleyball spike called a throw, at strike but with open palms like a double hand ruck tap, but clearly a strike.