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Following the preliminary final between Hawthorn and the Brisbane Lions at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, three officiating decisions made in the final 61 seconds of the match have been subject to review. Football writers Peter Ryan and Marc McGowan, alongside former AFL grand final umpire Ray Chamberlain, evaluated the calls that influenced the game’s final moments.
The first decision involved Hawthorn player Mitch Lewis, who was penalized for insufficient intent to keep the ball in play with 62 seconds remaining. The panel concluded the decision was correct, noting that AFL guidelines require players to demonstrate a genuine attempt to keep the ball in the field of play rather than merely touching it as it crosses the boundary line.
The second incident occurred 53 seconds from the final siren, when a free kick for high contact was awarded to Brisbane’s Dayne Zorko following a challenge by Hawthorn’s Josh Weddle. The panel agreed that while the contact was not severe, it met the criteria for a high contact foul, justifying the umpire’s decision.
The final contentious call involved a holding the ball penalty against Hawthorn’s Jarman Impey, resulting from a tackle by Hugh McCluggage. The panel praised the umpire for the decision, noting that Impey had sufficient time to dispose of the ball after the tackle was initiated. Chamberlain explained that because the tackle was legal and the ball was not pinned, the umpire correctly applied the rules regarding the duration a player is allowed to dispose of the ball.
The panel also noted that Hawthorn benefited from several non-calls in the final minutes of the match, including instances involving Jack Ginnivan and Jack Gunston. These included a push in the back by Gunston that went unpenalized and a potential 50-metre penalty against Ginnivan that was not called by the umpire.
Article source: www.theage.com.au | Image credit: www.theage.com.au
