FFA judiciary is still a joke
Further to my post regarding the FFA Match Review Panel last week it seems now I have further issue to complain with extra suspensions again being handed out to Melbourne Victory players after receiving a red card. This time Vargas gets an extra week for his troubles and Keenan an extra two.
I am loathed to use the "c" word as I tend to make fun of most of them, but is the FFA out to get the Melbourne Victory? That aside, the Match Review Panel needs again to take a long hard look at itself when it comes to additional suspensions. Do they actually review the incident through a video replay or just go on the match report of all the officials involved? Maybe their DVD player is broken at the moment because there is no way that these two incidents deserved additional suspensions. Additional should only be warranted if all the officials miss something serious and/or the offence is grossly malicious and pre-mediated.*
The Keenan red card incident was clearly a mistimed tackle with the studs up and surely sitting seventy minutes on the bench and missing the next game is punishment enough. There appeared to be little malice in the action, both players put in a fairly agricultural challenges for the ball its just that Clark got their first and then copped the boots of Keenan. Definitely not worth an extra two weeks suspension.
Even more ridiculous is the additional suspension handed out to Vargas for his clash with Petrovski. Anyone apart from Mark Shield, the Match Review Panel and about 10,000 Mariners supporters could see that the contact was minimal, and Petrovski milked what contact there was for all its worth. Why else do you think Petrovski was walking off with a smirk on his face? Again the Match Review Panel fails to view the whole incident within its context. Maybe the FFA is taking a stance on retaliation, but the retaliation wouldn't have occurred if the man in charge on the day had blown his whistle earlier in the piece.
Again I hope the Victory appeals these two decisions (no word on the result of the Pantelidis appeal yet) but I will not be holding my breath for a successful outcome.
*Apologies to the Melbourne Victory forumite from who I borrowed this last sentence but it made perfect sense when I read it on the forum that I just had to add it to my post.
I am loathed to use the "c" word as I tend to make fun of most of them, but is the FFA out to get the Melbourne Victory? That aside, the Match Review Panel needs again to take a long hard look at itself when it comes to additional suspensions. Do they actually review the incident through a video replay or just go on the match report of all the officials involved? Maybe their DVD player is broken at the moment because there is no way that these two incidents deserved additional suspensions. Additional should only be warranted if all the officials miss something serious and/or the offence is grossly malicious and pre-mediated.*
The Keenan red card incident was clearly a mistimed tackle with the studs up and surely sitting seventy minutes on the bench and missing the next game is punishment enough. There appeared to be little malice in the action, both players put in a fairly agricultural challenges for the ball its just that Clark got their first and then copped the boots of Keenan. Definitely not worth an extra two weeks suspension.
Even more ridiculous is the additional suspension handed out to Vargas for his clash with Petrovski. Anyone apart from Mark Shield, the Match Review Panel and about 10,000 Mariners supporters could see that the contact was minimal, and Petrovski milked what contact there was for all its worth. Why else do you think Petrovski was walking off with a smirk on his face? Again the Match Review Panel fails to view the whole incident within its context. Maybe the FFA is taking a stance on retaliation, but the retaliation wouldn't have occurred if the man in charge on the day had blown his whistle earlier in the piece.
Again I hope the Victory appeals these two decisions (no word on the result of the Pantelidis appeal yet) but I will not be holding my breath for a successful outcome.
*Apologies to the Melbourne Victory forumite from who I borrowed this last sentence but it made perfect sense when I read it on the forum that I just had to add it to my post.
posted by Neil at
11/06/2007 08:58:00 pm
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