AFL ‘not happy’ as fresh vision uncovers umpire error in final quarter of Fremantle’s win over Adelaide

Adelaide were involved in yet another umpiring mistake in a close game after an obvious infringement was strangely missed during their loss to Fremantle on Good Friday.

The Agenda Setters uncovered fresh footage of a Dockers 6-6-6 infringement that went unpunished in the last quarter of the two-point thriller.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: AFL umpires admit error in Crows-Dockers clash

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The incident happened with just over six minutes remaining in the last quarter and the Crows trailing after Josh Treacy’s goal put Fremantle up by three points.

After the go-ahead goal, the ball returned to the middle and players lined up in the customary positions as per the 6-6-6 rule.

But Adelaide winger Brayden Cook immediately realised he didn’t have an opponent lined up next to him.

Cook had his arms out asking where his opponent was. Credit: Seven

Behind-the-goals footage showed the Dockers had seven players in their defensive zone with Judd McVee appearing to be the player at fault.

The boundary umpire seemingly noticed the infringement and alerted the field umpire, but nothing happened after that.

Play was restarted with a ball-up and it resulted in a secondary stoppage, which allowed McVee to push up to the wing and no harm was done.

It’s worth noting, it should only have been a 6-6-6 warning, rather than a free kick, but it was still a missed call.

Channel 7’s Caroline Wilson said Adelaide were in no way suggesting it had an impact on the game, but they did reach out to the umpiring department, who admitted the error.

“We spoke to Adelaide’s footy boss Adam Kelly earlier today who was at pains to say, ‘they are not saying this cost them the game’, but they did go to the AFL umpiring department to find out what happened, to find out what should have been done in that situation and why a 6-6-6 infringement was not called,” she said.

“Now, it’s important to say that Freo had had no warnings during the game so it wouldn’t have resulted in a free kick. But, and it’s also important to say that Freo, I think, ended up winning the clearance.

“But had Adelaide won the clearance and kicked into a forward line with seven defenders, that wouldn’t have been fair. And who knows what would have happened had the officiating umpire, I think it was Simon Meredith … it would have changed the timing and anything could have happened.

“So, the umpires have put their hands up today. They’ve admitted they got it wrong. They put their hands up to the Crows earlier in the week. They’ve admitted to us today that they got it wrong. And they have conceded that they are trained, tonight they’re training and they’re coaching again just better ways of being alerted to a 6-6-6 infringement.”

Fellow panellist Luke Hodge said there is no point training for that given it’s an obvious rule.

“They know the rules. If you look up and see there’s no winger or there’s seven defenders, you blow the whistle. So, how can they train that? They know what to do,” he said.

Cornes noted the Crows players were furious and couldn’t understand how the umpires missed it.

“The players know the rules. You can see Taylor Walker’s furious. There is no one on the wing there,” he said.

“Even there’s a bit of disorganisation there. But the boundary umpire is pointing right there. The field umpire is there. He actually looks in the direction of the Adelaide wingman and doesn’t identify that for whatever reason.”

Wilson added that the AFL were not pleased the umpiring error was being highlighted.

“I’ve got to say, the AFL are not happy that we are doing this story tonight. They think it’s an overstatement. They think it’s a woulda, coulda,” she said.

Dale Thomas said it was a bit of that given it went to a secondary stoppage, but Cornes disagreed.

“I’m glad you raise it. It’s a good point. But what if McVee marked that ball?” He said.

“So this is the old rule, before 6-6-6. What if Adelaide had won the footy, 6:36 to go, they’re down by three in a close game… What if McVee had marked that footy?”

It’s the latest in what is growing into a long list of controversial umpire decisions in close games over the past four years against Adelaide.

Wilson insisted the Crows are not saying any of these calls cost them the games, but they were “surprised” this one was missed.

Against Geelong in Round 3, the Cats were wrongly awarded a last disposal free kick that ended up resulting in a crucial goal in the last quarter.

That was the fifth confirmed umpiring error in five defeats in the past four seasons.

Adelaide infamously missed the finals in 2023 after Ben Keays was denied a clear goal against Sydney, while there were also further incidents in the next two seasons.

In 2024, Izak Rankine was denied a free kick in the final minutes of a one-point loss to Gold Coast, and the following year, the AFL conceded a free kick should have been paid against then-Essendon ruckman Sam Dramper in the final seconds of a three-point loss.