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AFL admits umpire got key call wrong

3 minute read

The AFL has agreed with Geelong coach Chris Scott, saying the umpires got it wrong in the final seconds of the Cats' loss to Sydney.

Cats head coach CHRIS SCOTT Picture: Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images

The AFL has admitted that umpires erred by denying Jeremy Cameron a mark and shot at victory in the final seconds of Geelong's two-point loss to Sydney.

Cameron held onto a skied ball with six seconds remaining on the clock during Saturday night's dramatic SCG clash.

But the whistleblowers called play on, wrongly ruling the Sherrin had not travelled 15 metres in the Cats' forward line, and the Swans held on.

"Upon video review this morning we have deemed the ball to have travelled the required distance," AFL umpires boss Dan Richardson told reporters on Sunday morning.

"And should have been paid a mark."

The Sydney-Geelong game ended with James Rowbottom being tackled amid appeals for holding the ball by Geelong players.

However, Richardson ticked off the umpires' call to not penalise the Sydney midfielder.

Geelong coach Chris Scott didn't want or need clarification from the league regarding Cameron's non-mark, noting on Saturday night that it obviously a mistake.

"I looked at the vision and it's clear," Scott said.

"But it's a different perspective for the umpire, he can't go back and replay the vision. They're tough calls.

"I suspect they'll have a look at it and go, 'the Swans made some blues, the Cats made some blues after that then we might have made some blues as well'.

"That's a split-second call and if he made the wrong one, I think we should say 'isn't it surprising that doesn't happen more often given how difficult the job is?'."

The 2011 premiership coach proceeded to query whether it made sense for only some calls to be given such in-depth analysis and explanation by the AFL.

"They have a bit of a recent history of coming out and admitting their mistakes, which is probably the right thing to do," he said.

"It's really difficult to say on one hand - and I think we all agree with this - that umpires don't determine the outcomes of games.

"And say there's a whole range of decisions across the course of the game that could be controversial, so we wouldn't focus on the last one.

"But then go and clarify the last one ... if you are going to explain yourself then explain yourself over the entirety of the game, rather than building pressure on umpires."

Scott is keen for the Cats to quickly move on from the gutting loss, shifting focus to Friday night's grand-final rematch against Richmond at the MCG.

"It's a six-day break into the best team in the competition," he said.

"We can't afford to wallow in our self-pity for too long."