Free kick or not?

[Lazza]

Controversy about whether a free kick should have been to Prestia during the last second of last night’s game and whether it should have also been a 50 metre penalty. IMO technically it should have been both. Richmond were bloody stiff but cruelly, I just had to have a laugh 😆
Those with very long memories will remember Collingwood losing to North Melbourne in a Night series GF in 1979 when Kerry Good marked the ball many seconds after the final siren because umpire Robinson did not hear it. I remember being totally pissed off 😡 Tommy Hafey was livid but it was a case of the umpire not hearing the siren when it rang and only hearing it after Good had marked the ball 🙄 Another Collingwood bad luck story 😢😪

[What'sinaname]

If the siren hadnt have gone, it’s a 50. But as the siren had gone, the action was in response to the siren rather than to the whistle.

Sadly, there is no technically argument in the game as unlike most sports, AFL rules are more interpretations than rules.

Rules would be better and would eliminate the problems with deliberate out of bounds, holding the ball etc. we allow umpires to have too much discretion in the game. Rather than officiators, they are decision makers who influence the game.

[Lazza]