Deluded Connolly is Wrong and Deserves a Reprimand!

Paul Johnson reports, Fremantle coach Chris Connolly is out of line and should be reprimanded for his outburst following the controversial drawn result in Launceston.

So St Kilda and Fremantle drew the game at Launceston in unusual circumstances.

The last I checked the rules and decisions made in the game are up to the field umpires and the goal umpires on the ground, and the siren is in place to measure time not to define it.

That job belongs to the umpires on the field. It is their determination of time that is significant and it is their determination of the rules that decides the game.

The laws of Australian Rules Football in fact state that:

“Play in each quarter shall come to an end when any one of the field Umpires hears the siren.”

“A field Umpire shall signal that he or she has heard the siren by blowing a whistle and holding both arms above his or her head. If immediately before hearing the siren, a field Umpire is of the opinion that a player should be awarded a free kick or a mark, the field Umpire shall signal that play has come to an end and then award the free kick or mark to the player.”

Unfortunately for Fremantle none of the umpires heard the siren (neither did many in the ground) and took this action, thus meaning that the game would continue until they did hear the siren and bring the game to a close.

Then something extraordinary happened.

Chris Connolly despite having no right to stormed the playing surface to tell his players what to do, while play was still being completed.

He then also despite having no right began to gesticulate with and abuse the umpires for making a decision that they believe is fair and just.

Connolly overstepped the mark at the weekend, and not only deserves a whopping great fine, but needs to be told he is a coach, not an umpire, and perhaps if he wishes to be involved in decisions critical to the outcome of the game should switch jobs.

His stupidity has not only cost him face within the wider AFL community but could have seen him getting hurt!

Lets face it he has no place on the field and earned the ire of Lenny Hayes who seemed to tell Connolly in no uncertain terms to get off the ground. Connolly brought that situation on himself, and one could only imagine what would have happened if he had tried to have a go at big Fraser Gehrig, who was not only having a rotten day form wise but copped more striking charges from the game, than an angry Dermott Brereton may have in his heyday.

The behaviour of Chris Connolly was poor and child-like, it was up their with the petulance often shown by Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, and even he would not be stupid or arrogant enough to storm the pitch.

Under the laws of the game, the result was a draw there is nothing that can be clearer than that, as St Kilda coach Grant Thomas said post game, when told of a Fremantle challenge to the result, “The umpire puts his hand up to say that’s the end of the game and they confer, they agree on scores and that’s what it is”.

Thomas is correct in his remarks and is backed by the rules.

Connolly on the other hand has been petulant throughout this week, complaining that he was hard done by.

Umpires make decisions and while club players and officials may sometimes not like these, the umpires’ decision is final. For Chris Connolly to run onto the playing surface and start abusing the officials is wrong, stupid and petulant.

The AFL needs to uphold the result of the game and fine Connolly for his poor behaviour, making a show of force that drama queen performances from coaches will not be tolerated.

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