Umpires wired for in-game coaching

AFL umpires, including multiple grand final whisteblower Brett Rosebury, could receive in-game coaching from their mentors via a two-way radio under a plan proposed by former Adelaide coach Neil Craig. Picture: Stuart Milligan Source: Herald Sun

NEIL Craig failed to put his Crowbots on remote control when he was Adelaide coach, but he has convinced the AFL to do more with its wired-up umpires.

AFL umpires will trial during the NAB Cup pre-season series taking messages from their coaches sitting in the grandstands.

Craig, who is currently the high-performance director at Melbourne, sold the idea to the AFL after sitting in the umpiring observers' box during the past season.

He questioned why the umpires - who are wired up to take direction on score reviews - are not sent direct messages from their coaches.

AFL football operations chief Adrian Anderson thought the concept sound enough to merit a trial in the pre-season competition starting in February.

"Neil was saying, 'You could've helped that umpire by alerting him to this or that or telling him he needs to adjust his positioning - why don't you talk to them?"' Anderson said.

Craig trialled sending direct messages to his players at training in 2008 when he was coaching Adelaide.

The concept never developed beyond training because the AFL objected to players being wired-up.

Anderson says the radio messages from AFL umpiring director Jeff Gieschen and coaches Rowan Sawers, Hayden Kennedy and Bryan Sheehan are not to influence umpires' decisions.

"It wouldn't be telling them what decisions to make or anything like that, it'd just be in terms of their positioning, or anything they might need to look out for," he said.

"They might say, 'You need to keep your eyes on what's happening in the goalsquare'."

The trial in the NAB Cup will determine if the concept becomes a routine for umpires in the premiership season.
 

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