{"id":591666,"date":"2026-04-07T17:24:27","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T17:24:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/591666\/"},"modified":"2026-04-07T17:24:27","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T17:24:27","slug":"afl-not-happy-as-fresh-vision-uncovers-umpire-error-in-final-quarter-of-fremantles-win-over-adelaide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/591666\/","title":{"rendered":"AFL \u2018not happy\u2019 as fresh vision uncovers umpire error in final quarter of Fremantle\u2019s win over Adelaide"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

The Agenda Setters<\/a> uncovered fresh footage of a Dockers 6-6-6 infringement that went unpunished in the last quarter of the two-point thriller.<\/p>\n

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: AFL umpires admit error in Crows-Dockers clash<\/p>\n

Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today Arrow<\/a><\/p>\n

The incident happened with just over six minutes remaining in the last quarter and the Crows trailing after Josh Treacy\u2019s goal put Fremantle up by three points.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

But Adelaide winger Brayden Cook immediately realised he didn\u2019t have an opponent lined up next to him.<\/p>\n

\"CookCook had his arms out asking where his opponent was. Credit: Seven<\/p>\n

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

The boundary umpire seemingly noticed the infringement and alerted the field umpire, but nothing happened after that.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s worth noting, it should only have been a 6-6-6 warning, rather than a free kick, but it was still a missed call.<\/p>\n

Channel 7\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe spoke to Adelaide\u2019s footy boss Adam Kelly earlier today who was at pains to say, \u2018they are not saying this cost them the game\u2019, 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,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, it\u2019s important to say that Freo had had no warnings during the game so it wouldn\u2019t have resulted in a free kick. But, and it\u2019s also important to say that Freo, I think, ended up winning the clearance.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut had Adelaide won the clearance and kicked into a forward line with seven defenders, that wouldn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, the umpires have put their hands up today. They\u2019ve admitted they got it wrong. They put their hands up to the Crows earlier in the week. They\u2019ve admitted to us today that they got it wrong. And they have conceded that they are trained, tonight they\u2019re training and they\u2019re coaching again just better ways of being alerted to a 6-6-6 infringement.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fellow panellist Luke Hodge said there is no point training for that given it\u2019s an obvious rule.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey know the rules. If you look up and see there\u2019s no winger or there\u2019s seven defenders, you blow the whistle. So, how can they train that? They know what to do,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Cornes noted the Crows players were furious and couldn\u2019t understand how the umpires missed it.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe players know the rules. You can see Taylor Walker\u2019s furious. There is no one on the wing there,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven there\u2019s 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\u2019t identify that for whatever reason.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wilson added that the AFL were not pleased the umpiring error was being highlighted.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve got to say, the AFL are not happy that we are doing this story tonight. They think it\u2019s an overstatement. They think it\u2019s a woulda, coulda,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Dale Thomas said it was a bit of that given it went to a secondary stoppage, but Cornes disagreed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m glad you raise it. It\u2019s a good point. But what if McVee marked that ball?\u201d He said.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo this is the old rule, before 6-6-6. What if Adelaide had won the footy, 6:36 to go, they\u2019re down by three in a close game… What if McVee had marked that footy?\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the latest in what is growing into a long list of controversial umpire decisions in close games over the past four years against Adelaide.<\/p>\n

Wilson insisted the Crows are not saying any of these calls cost them the games, but they were \u201csurprised\u201d this one was missed.<\/p>\n

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

That was the fifth confirmed umpiring error in five defeats in the past four seasons.<\/p>\n

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

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.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Sam Mitchell makes shock manager switch to media mogul<\/p>\n

2 min read<\/p>\n

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Taylor Walker lifts lid on expletive-laden spray to teammates<\/p>\n

2 min read<\/p>\n

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