Footbrawl, a collection of original amusing illustrations highlighting each round, minor and major, of the 1971 SANFL season. While this drawing seems to suggest that the umpire favoured Norwood in this particular match it is widely regarded that Australian Rules is one of the hardest games to adjudicate due to the speed of the game, size of the grounds and the nature of its rules which can sometimes allow for grey areas of interpretation. How the umpires of old must envy the 'safety in numbers' felt by their counterparts of today where there are three field umpires, two boundary umpires and two goal umpires.

Some interesting comment has been made over many years about the lot of the umpire:

Instead of allowing [him] to umpire again, the Association should have a wooden automaton made, wind it up for two hours and if it can be made to run well it would give as much satisfaction to the players and general public as was given last Saturday. (Register, 2 August 1892, page 6g)

Various suggestions have been made since a local umpire fainted under his load of care, but there appears to be a simple and effective remedy - let the football umpire's duties be deputed to another, who shall require no qualification but good staying power... He shall follow the ball, and throw it in when it goes out of bounds. (Advertiser, 14 May 1892, page 4d)

It is an open secret that umpires have, for various reasons, been inclined to overlook even gross breaches of the rules... As a rule, when half the crowd is applauding the umpire the other half is reviling him, and the wonder is... that any man can be found to undertake such a thankless task for the moderate fee which is paid for it. (Advertiser, 9 July 1927, page 12h)

On occasion officials have been physically assaulted:
One hoodlum in the crowd, who had lost his temper, and probably his money as well made a rush at the umpire and while they were engaged a mean, contemptible ruffian kicked the umpire. (Register, 7 August 1893, page 7e)

Hat pins were drawn by members of the fair sex in readiness for use, and vicious stabs were made at him with umbrellas. (Advertiser, 13 June 1910, page 7i)

The public... or that part of it which is liable to these exceptionally severe attacks of football frenzy, will have to learn to control itself. If it should fail to do so, it is true that it may never quite succeed in killing the umpire, but it will probably satisfy its lust for blood by killing the game of football. (Register, 16 August 1926, pages 8e and 9e)

Sometimes an umpire was incensed enough at criticism to put pen to paper:
[At tribunals] charges of fighting have been declared trivial, although thousands of people witnessed them, many of whom now stay away from football sooner than risk a repetition of the sight... Committeemen who abuse umpires in filthy and disgusting language cannot consistently be severe on players who do the same. That such men have voices in the ruling of football in South Australia is the pity of it...(Register, 18 September 1893, page 3f)

But at the end of the day it seems the umpires can never win:
On my right was a well dressed woman, who was quietly and consistently venomous at the expense of the umpire. (Her side was ahead and eventually won); but that did not matter. It was common knowledge, she said, that he favoured the other side. (Register, 8 October 1910, page 12d)

Quotes taken from the Manning index : State Library of SA

Item 1 : Footbrawl illustration Norwood v North Adelaide

Item 2 : Umpires inspects players boots SA vs Victoria 1938 B 7798/212