AFL admits last-touch free kick to Cats was wrong, would have been overturned on video review

The AFL has admitted a contentious last-touch decision in favour of Geelong’s Tom Atkins on Thursday night was wrong, and the crucial free kick 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 AFL Review Centre (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).

In a statement on Friday, the AFL said: “The ball came back into play before the ARC had time to intervene on the last disposal free kick awarded to Geelong in the fourth quarter last night. If the ARC did intervene, the decision would have been overturned.

“The AFL will look at its late-in-game process and the ability to potentially hold play to get the correct outcome.”

Atkins held the ball for about 16 seconds before he disposed of it.

Cats coach Chris Scott says he would support the ARC being used for contentious last-touch decisions.

“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 [in] 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.”

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 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.

The Cats 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 50m – 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.

With Roy Ward

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