AFL backs whistleblowers for grand final duties
Shayne Hope |
AFL field umpires Hayden Meyer and Nick Foot have been backed to officiate in the grand final, selected despite being caught up in separate controversies this season.
The pair will be joined by veteran whistleblower Brett Rosebury and Brendan Hosking at the MCG on Saturday, when Fremantle take on Brisbane.
Meyer made the controversial call against Hawthorn’s Jarman Impey late in Saturday’s epic preliminary final, which gave the Lions a crucial shot at goal.
Hugh McCluggage converted to put Brisbane in front and they hung on in a thriller.
Hawthorn players and fans were incensed, and spectators showered umpires with rubbish as they made their way off the ground.
Hawks defenders James Sicily and Tom Barrass were fined $10,000 and $5000 respectively for misconduct after confronting Meyer with a verbal barrage after the siren.
AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon said the decision to select Meyer for the grand final was acknowledgement that the umpire had made the correct call in the preliminary final.
“That’s right. And if it had gone the other way, maybe he wouldn’t be gracing the stage on Saturday,” Dillon told SEN on Tuesday
Foot was also subjected to a verbal spray from Port Adelaide star Zak Butters earlier in the season.
He said Butters questioned his integrity during the Power’s loss to St Kilda, alleging the midfielder said: “How much are they paying you?”
Butters was initially found guilty of abusing an umpire but was cleared when the appeals board ruled he was denied natural justice, as tribunal panel member Jason Johnson was driving his car at stages of the hearing.
Foot also later ended his employment with betting agency Sportsbet, where he was involved in racing coverage, after coming under fire over the arrangement.
Rosebury will officiate in his 10th grand final and Meyer his third, while Hosking and Foot have been selected for the second time. Nathan Williamson is the emergency.
“The umpires selected to officiate this Saturday have earned the honour and privilege of representing the umpiring group,” AFL head of officiating Stephen McBurney said in a statement.
“The preliminary finals showcased the very best our game has to offer. The intensity of both finals has prepared our umpires for what lies ahead.”
Experienced boundary umpires Matt Tomkins (seventh grand final) and Michael Barlow (fifth) will work with debutants Jordan Russell and Benjamin Feely
Goal umpires Dylan Benwell and Matthew Dervan will officiate their first and fifth grand finals respectively.
Michael Marantelli (boundary) and Steven Piperno (goal) were named as emergencies.
Neville Nash will serve as the umpire ambassador presenting the officials with their grand final medals, in recognition of his long-standing contribution to umpiring and football.
AAP