One of the greatest preliminary finals of all-time was ultimately decided by a last-second umpiring decision – and it was the right call.
Hawthorn were just seconds away from qualifying for their first grand final since 2015, but a Hugh McCluggage tackle on Jarman Impey inside 50 resulted in a Lions free kick, which was converted for the win.
Impey had an arm free in the tackle and needed to show the umpire he was making a genuine attempt to get rid of it. In the defender’s mind, he was playing for the ball-up, a stoppage and more time off the clock.
It was a ruthless call from the umpire, but the right one as he pinged Impey for holding the ball, and gave McCluggage the shot for goal with mere seconds left on the clock.
It ultimately saw Brisbane win 131-122, with Kai Lohmann kicking one last goal after the siren for icing on the cake.
Hawks fan boo the final result. via Getty Images