A nightmare return to football for Kyabram goalkicking star Kyle Mueller has ended with a two-week suspension after a Goulburn Valley League tribunal hearing on Wednesday evening.
The report, and yet another one-sided free kick count, came out of the Bombers round-14 loss to Seymour.
During the week it was revealed the club had recently sought clarification on several decisions from AFL Goulburn Murray umpiring director, Andrew Moore, along with seeking an explanation of the Bombers’ season-long free kick snub.
Mueller had not played since April 15 (round two against Rochester) and had kicked two goals for the Bombers in the July 23 match before being sent from the ground and reported in the final quarter.
Seymour won the match by 33 points on the back of 98 more possessions, 30 more tackles and 44 more marks than the Bombers.
But it is another statistic that had Kyabram’s coaching staff and players at boiling point — the 33-18 free kick count in Seymour’s favour.
It took the season-long count to 424 free kicks against the team, 71 more than the next most penalised club — ironically Seymour.
The difference is Seymour has received five more free kicks than it has given away in its 14 games during season 2022.
Kyabram has received 131 less free kicks (293) than it has given away. That differential is 70 more than the next worse team in the league.
Shepparton Bears and Echuca give away plenty of free kicks. Shepparton has received 266 and given away 336 free kicks, while Echuca has a 286 for/352 against tally.
Tatura and Mooroopna are the only other teams to have given away more kicks than they have received, but the difference between those figures is just 10.
All of the remaining seven clubs have received more free kicks then they have given away and none have the unenviable record that Kyabram holds — having lost every free kick count for the 14 weeks of the 2022 GVL season.
Frustrated Kyabram Football Club officials have made contact with the league’s umpiring body, asking for an explanation of several decisions after the Rochester game (Kyabram lost the free kick count 41-12), which the Bombers lost by three points.
On Saturday, against Seymour there were obvious signs of tension with the Kyabram team, on and off the field.
The club has branded itself on playing tough football for a decade.
It appears to be not so much the free kicks the Bombers are giving away, but the free kicks they are not receiving.
An escalation of frustration on the field during the Seymour game came on the back of some umpiring decisions, leading to several 50 metre penalties and Mueller’s sending off.
The discrepancy in the free kick count on a weekly basis is a major stumbling block for the Bombers.
A widely publicised shortage of umpires initially had the club hesitant to approach the umpiring organisation with its concerns.
But is now clear the club is at its wit’s end and the the approach to the umpire’s association was a last resort.
AFL Goulburn Murray regional director of umpiring Andrew Moore said the organisation did not look at free kick counts.
When presented with GVL Data’s Kyabram free kick count he was surprised by the difference.
“It (the 131 free-kick differential) is a large number, but who is to say they are not there,” Moore said.
“Just because there is a high free kick does not mean they are wrong decisions.”
Moore admitted to having had correspondence with Kyabram, but did not provide details of the interaction.
“All the umpires can do is pay what they see,” he said.
“At the peak of their powers they (Kyabram) play physical and hard football.
“And they were very successful, so why change?”
Moore said that one great benefit of the GVL competition was the ability for umpire coaches to review video footage, and refer directly to decisions pointed out by clubs.
“We use the footage for coaching purposes and if clubs have questions we go through that particular free kick and provide an answer,” he said.
A lack of umpires in the region has challenged the Goulburn Murray umpiring group to the point where all reserve grade umpires are provided by clubs.
“Hopefully we can get through the next month of football and then onward and upward,” Moore said.
The AFL Goulburn Murray is responsible for umpiring Kyabram district, Goulburn Valley, Murray, Goulburn Murray junior and North Country women’s leagues.