Following the controversial ending to Fremantle’s 10-point loss to Carlton, a former AFL umpire has revealed he previously offered advice to Jordan Clark to stop “berating and abusing” officials.
Clark gave away a costly free kick for umpire dissent towards Alex Whetton – for language AFL CEO Andrew Dillon said couldn’t be repeated – after a missed touched ball in the dying stages of the game, leading to Matthew Kennedy’s game-sealing goal.
Dillon admitted the dissent decision was the “right call”, but conceded the umpires missed the touched ball that evoked it. Meanwhile Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir said his team needed to ‘get on with it’ given umpires never reverse decisions made on the field.
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Michael Pell, a former AFL umpire who resigned in late 2022 after being arrested on conspiracy of supplying inside information to others around Brownlow Medal votes, took aim at “spoilt brat” Clark on social media for having history in mistreating umpires, saying “guess he still hasn’t learnt.”
Pell further opened up to foxfooty.com.au on his experiences umpiring Clark and his attempts to restrain the now 23-year old from heckling officials.
“I umpired Clark a little bit during his debut season in 2019 in the VFL and then again in scratch matches in 2020 during lockdown,” Pell said.
“Things came to a head one day at Ikon Park in a game that meant nothing – a glorified match simulation with 14 per side. Clark was carrying on about decisions and generally just being difficult.
“I pulled him aside at a break and told him for the sake of his career he needed to stop with the berating and abuse of umpires – it went in one ear and out the other and I thought to myself: ‘This kid just doesn’t get it’.”
Pell revealed that in the next quarter of the 2020 scratch match he received a “Bronx cheer and laugh” from Clark after needing to recall a failed bounce.
“…we played a good game of footy” | 06:48
“It was in an empty stadium so everyone could hear and it was cringe, one of his teammates rolled his eyes and said: ‘Don’t worry about him’,” Pell added.
“I’ve been a secondary school teacher for 10 years and it was like dealing with a kid who is constantly disrespectful and defiant and they wonder why they keep getting detentions. Most kids grow out of it, some just don’t but that’s what it felt like dealing with Clark. There wasn’t another AFL player I came across that I had that feeling about.
“I’ve played high level sport, I get the emotion of it, I’ve been on the wrong end of bad umpiring decisions, but there’s 17 other Fremantle players out there that held their tongue despite their disappointment and frustration.”
Pell also said Whetton isn’t the type of umpire who would pay such a crucial free kick in front of goal to draw attention to himself “without it being completely justified.”
He added: “It’s not the NFL, mistakes happen and every play and every moment in games can’t be reviewed.”
Pell wasn’t able to comment on the Brownlow betting scandal, which he’s yet to be charged for, given the investigation is still ongoing.
Clark at the end of 2021 was traded from Geelong to Fremantle to return to Western Australia after three seasons at the Cats.
Source Agencies
