SYDNEY Swans' captain Jarrad McVeigh said players are being instructed to stay on their toes around stoppages because they are uncertain when the whistle is going to be blown.
Friday night's game between the Swans and Richmond was a poor spectacle as rolling mauls slowed the play regularly and McVeigh conceded it wasn't a great game to watch.
McVeigh told SEN that he instructed teammates not to wave their arms around or drop their guard during stoppages in case a free kick was suddenly awarded.
"Firstly you don't know who is going to get the free kick or there [might be] no whistle, so you just have to be on your toes," McVeigh said.
After the game Richmond coach Damien Hardwick said umpires needed to blow the whistle earlier when players were grappling for the ball. He said it would stop numbers crowding around the ball and allow teams to reset in positions after the whistle went.
McVeigh said the time umpires took before blowing the whistle did provide opportunity for more players to crowd around the ball.
Statistics told part of the story on Friday night.
Although the combined disposals numbered 730, just 16 goals were scored, an average of 48 disposals per goal.
Richmond scored only one goal after half-time but had 186 disposals.
Swans' players had more handballs than kicks and made 99 tackles, compared to Richmond's 61.
There were 37 more tackles in last night's game than when the two teams met at the MCG five years ago, an indication of how much more difficult the game has become to officiate.
The umpires paid 34 free kicks, about the average number awarded per game during 2014, and a figure that is about three below the average in 2013.
McVeigh said some games just panned out as highly congested, particularly if both teams tackled well.
"It probably wasn't pretty to watch but it's hard to tell when you are out there," McVeigh said. "There is so much stuff going on."
