The AFL has reportedly refused to make a definitive call on the controversial preliminary final decision that went against Collingwood at a crucial moment in their loss to Brisbane. The Lions advanced to take on Geelong in the grand final after beating the Pies by 29 points on Saturday night.
But the game was marred by major controversy over a call the Magpies didn’t receive in the fourth quarter. With Brisbane up by just 12 points, Jamie Elliott thought he should have received a free kick right in front when Brandon Starcevich clattered into him while attempting a spoil.
Jamie Elliott and Collingwood were denied a crucial free kick. Image: Channel 7/Getty
But the umpires put the whistle away, and instead of Collingwood reducing the margin to six points they watched on as Brisbane kicked a string of goals to ice the game. The AFL world is completely divided on the incident, with many believing a free kick should have been paid for front-on contact or chopping the arm.
Others believe Starcevich only ever had eyes for the ball and made contact with it, meaning it was a fair spoil. And nothing sums up how divided the AFL world is than the fact league headquarters have so far been unwilling to make a definitive call.
Jon Ralph of the Herald Sun reported on Sunday the AFL “had no update” when contacted about the decision and are “unwilling to weigh into a definitive call.” As Ralph pointed out, the AFL have been quick this season to concede when clear mistakes have been made, but their refusal to weigh-in on the Elliott incident shows it’s not as clear-cut as Collingwood supporters believe.
Craig McRae drops truth bomb on Collingwood fans
Ralph said the decision will be part of Monday’s umpiring review, but there’s no guarantee the AFL will make a public comment on whether the umps got it right or wrong. Tellingly, Collingwood coach Craig McRae conceded after the game that Brisbane would have won anyway.
“It looked like that (front-on contract), yeah it did,” he said before adding: “No guarantee he kicks the goal, though, is it? This is the world I live in. I never make excuses. I don’t want our fans to see a coach that leads our group through excuses because it just doesn’t get you anywhere.
“I think losers make excuses. We don’t. We’re winners, and we didn’t win today. Clearly beaten by a better team. I think they would have beaten us anyway, the way they were playing. So you could say what if and if only, but it’s not the space we live in.”
The AFL has been unwilling to make a definitive call. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
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McRae admitted his team “didn’t control the things we could control well”, adding: “We had great momentum going into half-time, and we just let it slip real quick, and this is against really good opposition. They make three grand finals in a row. Really well coached. (Chris Fagan’s) had a great year again and they got a few out, and it just shows the depth of their belief in their system, and today was just a bit better than us.”
On Channel 7 at the time, Nick Riewoldt said he thought it was a clear free kick, as did cousin Jack on Fox Footy. But Jason Dunstall disagreed and thought Starcevich acted completely within the rules. A poll of over 1000 Yahoo readers shows the majority believe it was a fair spoil.