Speaking to the Perth media on Wednesday morning, Lyon said his interpretation was that the umpires are letting the game go more.
“There are free kicks that were being paid last year that aren’t being paid this year,” he said.
Lyon said there appeared to be an inclination from the umpires to blow the whistle more for ball ups - a claim backed up by figures showing stoppage numbers in the first five rounds are at a 15-year high.
The senior coach said the umpires had also backed away from paying the chopping-the-arm free kick in 2014.
“The amount of arms that are taken out, what’s been umpired and coached for five years and has been clear is now… to be honest I don’t know what a free kick is or isn’t anymore,” he said.
“It just gets a bit confusing. There’s clearly been a different methodology applied from the coach of the umpires to the umpires.”
Crowd figures are also down this season compared to last year, with many supporters unhappy with the AFL’s new three-tiered variable ticketing system, which is based on a United States model.
In effect, ticket prices are more expensive for games considered premium.
Lyon said the game had become harder for the average fan to attend.
“The great thing about our game is you used to be able to take your kids… but now it’s become quite difficult for families,” he said.
