Furore erupted around the MCG and across the entire AFL world after two highly controversial free kicks sparked a stunning three-goal turnaround against Geelong.
The Cats looked like putting Friday night’s qualifying final against Brisbane away before touchy umpiring calls saw Geelong’s 27-point lead shrink to 15 within a minute while the hosts were having a shot at goal.
Just over two minutes out from half-time, Tyson Stengle was lining up a goal to extend the Cats lead after a flurry of four-straight goals.
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But a free kick was curiously paid to Cam Rayner at the other end of the ground in the goalsquare against Mark O’Connor for a shove in the back.
Then Rayner instantly drew another free kick after Zach Guthrie also shoved the Lion — relatively gently — from behind to the ground in a wild sequence for a double free kick-double goal.
And just like that then entire feel of the game had flipped on its head.
Fox Footy commentators were left in disbelief
“Unbelievable. Unbelievable,” Fox Footy’s Garry Lyon said.
“It went the length of the ground while (Geelong) was about to have another shot. This is sensational.
“To run the ball the length of the ground for this is an extraordinary decision as you’ll see.
“I think (the second one) is soft as well, but Zach Guthrie has to be better than that. Stupid thing to do.”
Lyon said Guthrie’s act was an “idiotic mistake, but not enough to have this turned”.
Hawthorn legend Jason Dunstall added: “The original one was soft as butter. And the second one is pretty soft as well.
“(Brisbane) didn’t look capable of working their way back into the game but they’re back in it now courtesy of this.”
Commentator Gerard Whateley labelled it “stunning umpire intervention”.
Cam Rayner of the Lions gets a free kick from Zach Guthrie of the Cats. Picture: James Wiltshire/AFL Photos via Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
Of the first free kick, Matthew Lloyd said on 3AW: “He could potentially be fined for staging, that’s how little it was in it.”
Seven-time All-Australian Nathan Buckley was left livid by the decisions.
“Disgraceful. I’m not a Cats supporter, but I was angry,” he told Fox Footy at half-time.
“That was ridiculous. It’s a final. That is so soft.”
Four-time premiership Hawk Jordan Lewis added: “They lost control, they really did, the umpires … the crowd was angry and rightly so. It just shouldn’t have happened.”
Herald Sun reporter Jon Ralph said new AFL football operations boss Greg Swann would be “absolutely losing his mind”.
“He came in with a mandate to bring back common sense to the AFL to try and get rid of these kinds of own goals. He is the head of the umpires, he’s been preaching discretion, ‘don’t insert yourself into the game’ … heaven forbid if this game was decided by a couple of points and we saw Chris Scott in a post-match press conference,” Ralph told Fox Footy.
“This is not a free kick in the pre-season, this is not a free kick in a final.
“Instead we get umpires who lose all common sense … where is your feel for the game here?
Mark O’Connor of the Cats is seen as Cam Rayner of the Lions gets a free kick. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
“An umpire as probably cost himself a Week 2 umpiring slot and the AFL brings itself back into the game after, let’s face it, one of the worst years for the AFL administration … this was an absolute catastrophe.”
The Cats would go on to record a comfortable 38-point win, ensuring the double goal call had no bearing on the result.
Asked to comment on the incidents, Cats skipper Patrick Dangerfield told Fox Footy: “That’s footy sometimes … It’s a fine balance.
“Are they there? Probably not. But you’ve got to be mindful at this time of the year.
“It’s a learning thing for our players. Not sure they’re exactly there, but he’s a smart player, Cam Rayner.”
Geelong coach Chris Scott provided a diplomatic answer.
“I’m trying to get to the stage where the emotion is channelled towards good things – and I think I’ve bene like that most of the time, to be honest,” Scott said on Fox Footy with a smile.
“Obviously the Rayner free kicks, in the box we’re like: ‘There’s nothing we can do, so we should just move on.’ I thought the players did a pretty good job of that as well.”
Lions coach Chris Fagan also didn’t elaborate.
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“I’d have to watch all that back,” Fagan told reporters. “The Geelong crowd weren’t too happy with it.
“I haven’t wanted a replay, so it’d be unfair for me to make any comment on it.
“Obviously the umpire saw something and doubled up. That probably helped flatter the scoreboard a little bit for us because Geelong, by a mile, were the better team tonight.”
But much of the footy world was left shell-shocked.
“That’s embarrassing all round. Some of the most pathetic umpiring u will see. Some of the weakest (maybe smartest) flopping by Raynor u will see,” former Coleman medallist Scott Cummings tweeted.
Meanwhile West Coast premiership player Will Schofield declared: “That is as bad umpiring as we will ever see, let alone in a final. Disgraceful!”