Sorry Titus, I know it's hard to predict the future but in the case of the Bulldogs, it's very easy. They were always going to win this with assistance from umpires....it's just the way it is in the AFL world at the moment. 29-18 free kick count and a nothing free in the middle to assist the balls passage into the Fairypups forward line one last time for the winning point.....and another interstate team has success stolen from them (2016 anyone?). It's sickening and you'd better hope your Demons don't play them in the GF because #freekickfairypups is still a thing......and the next Seven commentator that says "Matt Stevic is one of the best umpires going around" will get punched in the face by me. He's an absolute shocker....some would say cheat.

You left out tomahawk. Well it looked like a decisive blow to the head and it resembled a bow from a tomahawk. But he too got off

the reason the vic commentators say "matt stevic is one of the best going around" is because he always looks after the victorian team. Look at the numbers of the finals matt stevic does

I know Lions fans won’t believe it but Oscar wasn’t watching the ball in the ruck and nor did get off the ground. His aim was to block English. Noted by the umps (who I agree did have a shocker). I expect Oscar is regretting his smart arse handing of the ball to English after the quarter-time siren.

It was an obvious deliberate out of bounds at a critical stage in the 4th by Caleb Daniel kicking the ball mid air off the side of his boot under extreme pressure. Come on give the umpires a fair go!

Thanks Titus, for reminding me that the Giants had been on the road for 73 days in order to keep the season going. I had forgotten that.

“…proving the footy gods love to really pour misery on top of misery”. Oh, it’s the footy gods that do that? I always thought it was written into the fundamental laws of the universe (read the laws of thermodynamics for a start).

Bill Fitzgerald I'm prepared to give the umpires a fair go when the umpires give interstate teams a fair go.Bias Victorian umpires have ruined a great spectacle to many times for it to be accidental.

Big O moved past the ball with eyes only on English to put in a block, but yeah a nothing free kick and it's all a big conspiracy lol.

Umpires in the Bulldogs Lions game started pretty well. Then at quarter time, someone brought out a message from Gil reminding them that a Grand Final in Perth featuring teams from Queensland and South Australia respectively is the last thing the AFL/VFL wants to see. The rest is history. Unfortunately for this Victorian-centric league, I think that Port might be capable of overcoming what will surely be a ridiculously lop-sided free kick count against and progressing to a potentially party pooping GF appearance.

Oh all the umpire bashing, biased against Victorian teams - what absolute rubbish.! Richmond once again is on the bottom of the free kick table and the home ground free kick advantage received by Port A, Wet Toast, Sydney, Brisbane, Freo to a lesser extent, Adelaide and the state capitol of the Far East South Australia - Geelong. Check your figures and stop your grumbling.

Leon the irony must have escaped you!!

I was at the game at the Gabba. I thought the umpires did a great job. And if the timekeeper in Round 23 had also done a great job, the Semi-Final would not have even been played at the Gabba.

Good luck for the Dees, Titus. I can tell you're nervous. Joel Selwood has always raised his shoulders in a tackle. This time he did it before he was tackled. Kelly was fine. Nothing to see except an obvious free kick.

Big fella.i feel I need to answer leons call on biased umpiring.obviously he never watched any Perth games with the honest dean Margetts umpiring . Now on a more serious note how redwood and Hawkins were NOT asked to at least explain why they both needed to save themselves from terrible injuries is beyond me. Anyway get on the DEES train and ENJOY the ride. GO DEES

Titus, I appreciate that the high altitudes attained by the Dees might have made you light-headed and in need of a sick bag, but surely you haven't lost all logic? If indeed it could "just as easily have been a Lions victory", and the result was a lottery, then the impact of the umpiring wouldn't have been "impossible to know"- it would have been zero. As for obsessing over peoples' body parts, they can be more historically significant than you realise. Nobody remembers the Battle of People Getting Shot, but they do still mark the Battle of Wounded Knee.

Until Qtr time the umpiring was then the weird stuff started. They just went silly with overly officious hair trigger calls. I've watched the game and have noted 10 dubious calls going against the Lions and 4 against the dogs. Just not good enough and unfortunately game changing mistakes

I'd be interested to see a Venn diagram of people who truly believe in umpire bias/AFL interference in outcomes and those who are anti-vax, anti-lockdown and empathise with Barnaby Joyce's worldview. It might look something like this: 'O'.

People complaining about getting a rough trot from the umpires have clearly never seen a Collingwood game.

The whinging coming from the Brisbane supporters even outdoes the whining from the Essendon supporters last week. It is obvious that the umpires must have orchestrated Neill to miss a set shot from 35 meters after receiving a gift free kick courtesy of Caleb Daniel. Zorko's out on the full was also the umpires fault and the missed set shots during the game must have also been the umpires fault. They also obviously made it impossible for Daniher to get a kick.

I am interested that there is no complaints about Bontepelli's goal be overturned on the say-so a a player as it appeared there was no other possible explanation and as for Daniel deliberately kicking the ball out on bounds, where is the disbelief at that decision?

The reason Brisbane lost was because they did not take their opportunities.

It's not the number of free kicks given, but the where, when and how of the free kicks that are given that is the main concern.
Too many in the attacking team's forward line when the game is in the balance for things that aren't there,

KN Dole, maybe check YOUR figures.

Swans are 11th out of 18 on the free kick table, with a free kick differential of -10.

Take a deep breathe everyone and repeat after me..... "Good decision umpire!!!"

Hipwood Schmipwood, people forget Dogs are currently playing Finals without their most prolific goalscoring big forward in Josh Bruce who at the time of injury I think was running third in the Coleman. Where was Hipwood and McStay?

About the umpiring? I thought it was a good job, considering the frantic nature of the game. However, the disallowing of Bont's goal was a travesty. There was no deviation, deflection, snickometer or barometer, and the umpire's call was a goal.

Anyway, Dogs should have finished 4th if not for the cheating timekeeper at the Gabba.

I'm a vegan.

I've read Game of Thrones.

Leon's TV must be broken every time a Weagles game is on. the most blatant home town umpiring I've ever seen in footy always happens to be in games played in Perth.....but there is a Victorian bias.....what a joke!

When Vandermeer kicked the winning point against the Whingers…. sorry.. the Lions, he had 2 Lions players riding his back but there was no free kick!? Strange that all the Bulldogs badgers want to talk umpiring when the most obvious free kick would have ended the game right there and then. The fact is that the Lions got the rub of the green in regards to free kicks (does Caleb Daniel have a head?? because he had it ripped off twice with no free). Impartial observers have counted 11 missed frees for the Bulldogs and 4 missed for the Lions. The Bulldogs missed out on 2 frees that would have resulted in a Bulldogs shot at goal and 2 incorrect were awarded to Brisbane which resulted in goals.
Mmmmmmm… the uproar over frees sounds like a beat up

AFL Semi-Finals akin to a mob of seagulls attacking the left overs. Except Geelong had a slight upgrade silver service at Grovedale. As the Giants threw all their chips in the previous week against the Swannies. Qualifiers straight sets to the Grannie.

TITUS, HOPEFULLY MELB COACH MR GOODFELLA IS SUPPORTED TO THE HILT BY HIS ASISSTANTS. AND WE CAN ALL SAY WHAT MR KEATING SAID "THIS ONE IS FOR THE TRUE BELIEVERS...HOW SWEET IT IS" GO DEES

Untouchable Joel tackles as subtly as Delicate Des Dickson of past Hawthorn fame. The latter however never got away with it.
Umpire bias, crikey, haven't you been to a Geelong or West Coast game? Meanwile Caleb Daniel pinged for a 'blatant'deliberate out of bounds whilst slung in mid air, desperately attempting to get a boot on it so not to get pinged for holding the Sherrin- shocking bias against those Lions!
Go Dees

Dear REVIEW COMPLETE...."I'm a vegan".....please keep your comments exclusively on the subject under discussion...namely, the umpires. Did you see where Smith & Daughter are moving to new premises in Collingwood? So exciting.
Their tofu scramble is to die for...

Thanks so much Titus for acknowledging all the travel the Giants did, to keep the season going. I was happy when they lost, it meant they could go home to their families and have a rest.

It's all irrelevant. It's Melbourne's premiership...the AFL will push buttons, twiddle knobs and employ their cheats to ensure that fairytale comes true as they did in 2017 with the Tigers.

Geez Titus. You are really hosting an Agenda Party here.

They found a 3 year old missing for a few nights in the Hunter Valley, do you know if the search party is available to find Garry Rohan?

Guess the AFL forgot to end the Tiger fairytale at the end of 2017 eh SPuD?

Thanks fellas. I was unaware it was Bash an Umpire Week.

I'm a vegan who has an irrational hatred of Victoria and who despises umpires and who has a visceral loathing of Victorian umpires.

While we're discussing (bashing??) umpires I always thought that some of the umpires branded OPSM should have got to Specsavers!!!

It always amazes me that a team loses solely due to umpires. Supporters never remember the missed shots at goal or turning the ball over or not manning up. The umpires would make far less errors in a match than the players yet no one can see that. It makes me think, who really is blind.

Selwood gets off as much as I do, and I have a serious porn addiction

Steve - grow up man. Always saddens me that close games inevitably bring focus to umpiring decisions! Lions unlucky however had their opportunities and the best side won imo. Oh and go Dees!!!

“….Joe Daniher…. not playing”. Nicely done again Titus 🤣

You either didn't actually watch the Bulldogs game, or you don't really have a grasp on the game.
The umpires having already artificially kept the Bulldogs in the game, proceeded to adjudicate the final quarter as though someone had their families held hostage!
Watch it back again decision by decision (and non-decisions).

Daniel made no reasonable effort to keep the ball in play - decision correct.
Big O took eyes off ball and blocked English - decision correct.

I'd say with the Lions chaotic, play-on at all costs style of footy on Saturday night, Joey D didn't have much of a chance as a big, tall forward. Couldn't see any delivery system. There were some bewildering ref decisions to be sure, including the mark paid to the Bont during Q4 that clearly came off the Brissie blokes' hands first ... but only a behind resulted. The Big O made some crucial errors during the game and no-one seems to be mentioning the idiotic attack on the ball by Lincoln McCarthy that saw Jack Payne kneed in the head and eventually subbed off. You could write a book about this game, so Titus, the balls back in your court.

I'm hoping as you probably are that Port are a 3 to 4 goal better team this week so we don't see the Throwdogs playing in the Grand Final. I couldn't stand to see a repeat of 2016: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=331aWvUaAmc

Given the line taken by others Leon re the Caleb deliberate out of bounds decision are you prepared to moderate your position?!