Spirit coach’s outburst leads to a caution
Fiery Bendigo Spirit coach Bernie Harrower has escaped with a caution from the WNBL, after he publicly criticised the performance of league officials in two crucial Spirit matches.
In an ABC Regional Radio interview on Monday morning, Harrower described the umpiring as “arrogant” in fixtures against Adelaide and Sydney.
However Basketball Australia’s Lorraine Landon was almost apologetic for Harrower when she said the games had been umpired “adequately” and the Spirit coach would escape without an official reprimand.
“It’s a little disappointing (Harrower’s comments), but he’s a passionate coach and it’s a tight season,” she said.
“I’m not condoning (his comments) but I accept he’s not a disrespectful man.
“I can understand the frustration as the season has been unbelievably close.”
However Landon said she wished Harrower had used a better forum to voice his concerns.
“There was a better way to speak about the umpires, it’s not in sport’s interest or the WNBL’s,” she said.
“There is a process for him to ask those questions, but he’s gone to the media, (which is) not the correct process.
“I haven’t spoken to him, I haven’t heard it (audio of his comments), I’ve only read it.”
On radio, Harrower questioned the consistency of the umpires in the Sydney and Adelaide fixtures.
“They were all over the shop with how they call the game,” he told ABC’s Fiona Parker.
“At times they’re arrogant and you can’t talk to them.
“It’s an ongoing problem for the league, you talk to all the different coaches and they say the same thing. They just don’t get it right.
“It’s been a case over the last few weeks where we’ve suffered at the hands of the referees.
“It’s almost like they have a bias against you or for you.
“From one game to the next, one quarter to the next, the players don’t know where they’re at or know how to play to the referees.”
Part of Harrower’s frustrations were down to a lopsided foul count in those two matches.
He described the count of 32-20 in Adelaide’s favour as “a huge discrepancy”, and 14-10 in Sydney’s favour as “low”.
However Landon said that was the nature of basketball.
“That can happen in basketball,” she said.
“Adelaide played very differently to the Sydney Flames.
“Some teams are more physical because they lack the height.”
The Spirt needs to beat Logan and hope Canberra can defeat Townsville in Townsville, to keep their final’s hopes alive.
“Nothing is perfect with refereeing, they are human beings and they’ve done a very good job this season,” Landon said.
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