The AFL’s Review Centre (ARC) will come under scrutiny after a pair of farcical decisions during Sunday’s games.
Late in the final game of the round between GWS and North Melbourne, the ARC ruled Xavier O’Hallaron’s kick was a goal despite replays showing Kangaroos defender Griffin Logue’s finger touching the ball.
The goal umpire said it was a goal, and the ARC confirmed that decision even though the slow-motion replay clearly showed Logue’s finger making contact with the Sherrin.
“Oh come off it,” Nathan Buckley said on Fox Footy.
“Is there a big story brewing here? I think it’s definitive.”
The Giants went on to claim the victory by seven points.
Earlier, the West Coast were taking it up to St Kilda in the first half when controversy struck during the second quarter.
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After the goal umpire called a behind when St Kilda ruckman Rowan Marshall took a mark on the goal line, play continued for a minute before it was called to a halt on the wing at Marvel Stadium.
An umpire blew their whistle and said: “Score review. Rowan Marshall’s kick.”
Fox Footy commentator Dwayne Russell said: “Free kick. Is that advantage paid or play on, or not? Bit confused here.
“Everyone’s looking around to see whose free it is or what they’re doing?
“They’re going back to the score review for the mark on the goal line as to whether it’s a behind or not. They played about a minute of play.”
Watch the AFL goal review madness at the top of this article
The ARC had deemed Marshall had taken the mark before crossing the goal line, and awarded him a shot on goal a minute after the play had moved on.
The review system said: “Looking at this angle, we can see the ball is controlled before crossing the line.”
Replays cast doubt on that decision, appearing to show Marshall marked the ball over the goal line and the goal umpire had made the right call in the first place.
The ARC’s intervention prompted footy greats to lose their minds in the Fox Footy commentary box.
Former Hawks forward Ben Dixon fumed: “Seriously. A minute and a half to make a decision. Are you kidding me?
“They should have 30 or 45 seconds and it should be done. Let it go.”
“The call came from upstairs,” Russell said.
Cam Mooney said: “To the naked eye it looked over the line.”
Dixon exclaimed: “It’s over the line!”
Mooney: “For a ball that pretty much looked over the line, shouldn’t even be paid a mark.”
“Oh my god. That’s farcical. Come on. That is a mare of a decision.”
Marshall snapped the goal from close range to extend St Kilda’s lead to 21 points and sap any moment the Eagles had after a solid start to the game.
Russell said: “That is as bizarre as we’ve ever seen AFL football played.”
Dixon continued: “I can’t believe that. I know that’s a goal to St Kilda and they creep away with a 21-point lead.
“That’s embarrassing if you look at it. It was inconclusive. We lose a minute and a half of play.
“That in my eyes is marked over the line.”
The decision proved pivotal in the game as St Kilda raced out to lead 7.10 (52) to 1.6 (10) at halftime.
“This is absolute madness,” Kelli Underwood said at halftime on Fox Footy.
“It’s affected the momentum of the game. Marshall kicked one, Jack Higgins within a minute and they’ve reeled off four consecutive goals since that incident.”
“It was a real momentum shifter. The ARC was brought in for the real obvious calls.
“Fans here under the close roof were livid and confused, booing exactly what happened.
“50 seconds of play. Quite extraordinary.:
David Zita: “The umpire has made a clear and decisive call there. The ARC has come over the top and overruled it.
“We know the ARC has already been a source of frustration for some.”
The ARC goal review process has long been criticised for being a flawed system and further questions have been raised this season about whether it should be used to rule on insufficient intent or other in-game calls missed by on-field umpires.
St Kilda demolished West Coast in the second half to a 22.11 (143) to 5.12 (42) victory with a whopping 101-point margin. It’s St Kilda’s third victory of the season.
