Following the completion of Round 8, there are a number of things that need to be communicated to you all, including these being communicated to all of your members and players:

 

Masters football is “Footy for Kicks” – there are no scores, premiership points or Fairest and Best Medals. Most players need to go to work on a Monday so 100% want to avoid any injury that may compromise that ambition.  In this regard we must have ZERO TOLERANCE for any action that may result in injury – this includes sling tackles (see appended video), unduly rough play or hard hits and an understanding of the relevant capabilities of participating players.  We all acknowledge that football is a contact sport but we need to better monitor the type and force of contact being made. I have instructed all umpires that they must police these aspects more diligently and caution/card offending players immediately.  If you have players who are unwilling or unable to participate under our  “Footy for Kicks” mantra and ethos, I suggest you advise them to play amateurs where collegiality is not necessarily as prevalent.Players umpiring and/or disputing decisions and/or mouthing off all the time (irrespective of whether they are on the ground or on the interchange bench) is totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated.  I have instructed all umpires that this needs to be covered in the pre-match address in the middle of the ground with the reminder that cards will be issued for offenders.  Players will be warned as a first step, yellow carded for the next step and if continued red carded as a last resort.  This behaviour will not be tolerated from any one. Offending players will be carded and will miss playing time.Club officials are responsible for the correct completion of the team sheets – team sheets are incomplete if all players are not listed thereon.  I have instructed all umpires to refuse to sign the sheets until they are completed.  It is the responsibility of the clubs to seek out the umpires to have the team sheets signed and not the responsibility of umpires to seek out the clubs. The hope is that this message will get through to recalcitrant clubs eventually.I have reiterated and restressed to all umpires the need for consistency across all games and venues, both in the making of decisions and the issue of yellow and red cards for prescribed offences. I have stressed that inconsistency has the potential to make the umpires jobs much more difficult.  I will, whenever possible, be watching games and umpires to ensure that umpires are being consistent both in decision making and the issuing of cards where necessary. THE BOARD HAS DIRECTED ALL UMPIRES MUST ISSUE CARDS IN ACCORDANCE WITH OUR GUIDELINES FOR PRESCRIBED OFFENCES.