Geelong coach Chris Scott says he would support the AFL Review Centre (ARC) being used for contentious last-touch decisions after veteran Cat Tom Atkins won a crucial free kick that should have gone to Adelaide during a dramatic final quarter when the margin was just two points.
The ball appeared to come off Atkins’ boot, but the premiership midfielder scooped up the ball and went back to quickly take his kick before the umpires could intervene to have the decision reviewed by the ARC.
Atkins then started a chain of play that ended in Jack Martin kicking a brilliant goal to stretch the Cats’ lead to eight points – the eventual margin when the final siren sounded, 9.14 (68) to 9.6 (60).
“If people are saying that it [the decision] was wrong, it’s likely to be accurate,” Scott said. “I think it’s a pragmatic, logical decision to say, well, if we can get some help from the ARC on those things, we should do it, but not a way that holds the game up for too long.
“If the question was, ‘Would you rather it take a little bit too long, but they get it right?’, yeah, I’d rather they got it right,” Scott said.
While the decision was important, the Cats would have been disappointed to lose to an undermanned but brave Adelaide after dominating territory for most of the match with 22 more inside 50s.
Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks refused to buy into any discussion of the decision being a factor in the result, saying he was more concerned about losing contested possession.
Speaking on the Fox Footy coverage in the aftermath of the clash, former North Melbourne premiership player and All-Australian David King said Atkins “stooged” the umpires on the boundary in claiming a free kick after his boot was the last to touch the ball.
“It was an obvious and clear boot of Atkins, who stooged the umpire perfectly,” King said.
“It comes off the left boot of Atkins, and he charges over and says, ‘That’s my ball’. Clever play and, in the end, he outsmarted the men in green.”
Also on Fox Footy, Australian Football Hall of Fame Legend Jason Dunstall also called for the ARC to get involved in such moments.
“As a procedural rule, it’s a farce,” Dunstall said.
“It doesn’t matter if the ball has gone back into play. If it is completely wrong, you tell the umpire to blow the whistle, pull it up, and then you make sure the free kick is decided the right way.
“What is the point of having it otherwise?”
In the end, Geelong made hard work of the win, which stretched their unbeaten record against Adelaide at home to 23 years.
Without their skipper Jordan Dawson and their three most experienced players – Taylor Walker, Rory Laird and off-season recruit Callum Ah-Chee – the Crows managed to hit the front at the five-minute mark of the last quarter, despite losing the territory battle.
At that stage, they looked to have the momentum, having kicked three unanswered goals as they won the ground ball battle. They had recovered from a 20-point deficit early in the second term and were worrying the Cats.
But in bleak, wintry weather, and with the short break compared to their opponents who had not played since round one, the Crows could not keep up the pressure. The Cats kept pushing and eventually broke the Crows when Jack Martin showed great skill and athleticism to kick his third goal. Ollie Dempsey then scrambled a goal from the goal square and the Cats were home.
At least they seemed to be, with one final Crows push fading when Izak Rankine failed to shepherd a kick through from Riley Thilthorpe, which would have brought the margin back to below a goal with a minute remaining.
Geelong were helped by outstanding performances from Bailey Smith and Max Holmes and excellent efforts from defenders Connor O’Sullivan and Sam De Koning.
Scott praised De Koning’s game, saying it was the premiership defender’s best performance for “a long time”.
With the heavens opening and the Cats relying on their midfielders for goals, the Crows just kept coming with their superior ball use. They kept finding Zac Taylor inside 50 – he kicked three goals in the first three quarters.
History remained on the Cats’ side, however. They have won their previous 15 matches when leading at three-quarter-time. Geelong moved Jeremy Cameron to the wing to attempt to bring him into the game, and locked the ball in their front half.
They now have a long break before playing Hawthorn on Easter Monday.
