“Not something that we need”: Why GF umpire is against accessing stats for Brownlow voting

After Patrick Cripps polled a record-breaking 45 votes and a surprising 12 best-on-ground performances, the debate on whether umpires should access stats after games before tallying votes was again reignited.

AFL umpire Craig Fleer was asked if he would look at statistics post-match if umpires had access to them.

“To be honest, it’s something that got discussed as an umpiring group, and the general consensus was that it’s not something that we need to make our decision because everything we are trying to do is based on how we felt as a group on the field itself,” he said on SEN Afternoons.

Fleer further spoke on the negative effects that would transpire if umpires had access to statistics after games.

“The notion of having statistics doesn’t sit very well with us generally, just because from my perspective it makes the entire thing a bit sterile, because everyone will know what’s coming, and I don’t think that’s what the award is about, given it’s about what the umpires on the ground and their opinion on who was the best and fairest player for that game.”

Fleer will umpire his second AFL Grand Final this Saturday as the Sydney Swans take on the Brisbane Lions at the MCG.