Cricket
Racing
Rugby
League
Motorsport
Football
Golf
Combat Sports
Basketball
Tennis
Other Sports
Sport Nation
"Worst it's ever been": Kane and Cornes unload on umpiring inconsistencies
Jaiden Sciberras • April 21st, 2025 9:22 am
David King and Kane Cornes have unloaded on the quality of umpiring seen in 2025 so far.
The AFL transitioned from three to four field umpires in 2023 in an attempt to minimise on-field mistakes, however criticism remains for the continuous inconsistencies and umpiring errors.
Speaking on the level of adjudication seen over the Easter weekend, King was adamant that the AFL’s umpiring is at an all-time low.
“I reckon this is the worst year of umpiring I’ve seen for a long time,” King told SEN’s Fireball.
“I’m frustrated by it now, and I think that we almost need to have a look at whether this four-umpire thing is working.
“There is so many different opinions about our game outside of the white lines. Inside, we can’t have four different opinions on the same event and expect to get consistency and clarity.
“Holding the ball is gone. We see blokes doing full 360’s we see them hitting the ground and then having time to handball.
“I’m looking at push in the back, that’s gone. Now, defenders don’t know where to stand. Are you in front, are you behind?
“I think we’ve lost our way totally.
“(They) cannot measure… how can you pay an almost 80 metre penalty for a 50 when there’s four of them there?
“The whole thing is just frustrating, and we’ve got to do something about it.”
Cornes was on-board with King, stating that a majority of the blame should be aimed at those in charge for constantly changing the laws of the game.
Cornes: “I’m with you on it, I feel like it’s never been worse.
“I don’t level all the blame at the umpires, I think the direction from above has confused them and made umpiring so hard.”
King: “That’s a cop out!”
Cornes: “So you’re squarely blaming it on the umpires, nothing to do with upstairs message?”
King: “Four doesn’t work!”
Cornes: “I’ve been with you on that right from the start.
“It was never going to work, you put four people in charge who want to be involved in the game, then that’s what’s going to happen.
“Do we say this every year?”
King: “No!
“I don’t bash the umpires, but it’s going sheizen.
“Disagree with me of you think, but I’m telling you, it’s the worst it has ever been.
“What about handballing? When did handballing become, as long as it grazes a part of your knuckle.”
Cornes: “There was one passage in the western bulldogs contest there was a five-minute stretch where there were eight throws.”
King: “Are we just going to let this roll on? Or do we take stock and say no, lets get the skill of the game back into our code.
“Right now, we are just losing so many little facets in the hand for ‘set the footy free’, we’ve given up on so many things.
“If you had to name one area that you could fix today…”
Cornes: “Illegal disposal.
“Just because he has made an attempt to dispose of the ball, and it doesn’t look like anything we’ve ever seen it football that’s been legal, but it’s called play on.
“I’d want to fix that.”
