Umpire wrong over Lions free kick: AFL

THE contentious free kick that dashed North Melbourne’s finals hopes has been ruled a mistake as the league yesterday got on the front foot about umpire Leigh Fisher’s game-changing error.

The league’s umpiring department ruled Fisher should not have rewarded Brisbane’s Oscar McInerney with the goal that put Brisbane ahead with 70 seconds remaining.

McInerney kicked the matchwinning goal after Scott Thompson nudged him out of the contest and took a mark in the frantic last minutes of the game.

Thompson perfectly used a marking technique that saw him push McInerney in the side as he protected space then moved back to mark the ball.

“The AFL Umpiring Department advises the free kick awarded to Brisbane Lions’ Oscar McInerney against North Melbourne’s Scott Thompson in the fourth quarter of last night’s match at the Gabba was incorrect,” the AFL said.

The league will in coming days clarify the ruck contest between McInerney and Ben Brown, with the Roos forward handed a free kick when the Lions tall blocked his rival with a bent arm.

Geelong great Jimmy Bartel said yesterday ruckmen should be allowed to use their arms to fend instead of basically tackling each other as the ball was in the air.

“I love ruck craft. If you are not allowed third-up jumpers, we should encourage the contest between two individuals. I would rather them allow them to fend off instead from what we see in 90 per cent of contests which is them bear hugging each other,” he told 3AW.

McInerney made Fisher’s decision harder in the contentious marking contest by throwing himself forward but Thompson should still have been paid the mark.

The league has drawn scrutiny after its umpiring department ticked off a series of contentious decisions but it drew plaudits yesterday for its proactive ruling 12 hours after the incident. That will be little comfort to Rhyce Shaw, having suffered a pair of last-minute defeats.

Last week Anthony McDonaldTipungwuti’s last-gasp goal saw Essendon beat the Roos, while McInerney’s goal saw the Lions home.

Shaw said the Roos would quickly move on from the contentious decision given clashes ahead against West Coast, Hawthorn and Geelong.

“I’m not sure I understood it, but that’s just the way it is. I can’t do anything about it now, the game’s done. We gave away a lot of free kicks (in the third quarter) that were silly, undisciplined free kicks.

“That’s not going to help ... and Brisbane brought the heat.”