![\"Danny](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/14200608ab3621357a740646c1e6f58c8cefb511.png\")
Save<\/p>\nSave<\/p>\n
You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n
Remove items from your saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n AAA<\/p>\n Greg Swann says umpires will be cracking down on missed push-in-the-back free kicks in coming weeks as he also revealed new high-tech cameras were arriving in August to improve the decision-making capabilities of the league\u2019s review centre.<\/p>\n In a wide-ranging radio interview on Wednesday morning, the AFL football boss touched on all things umpiring, saying the game\u2019s referees were adjudicating to a high standard but like players and coaches were prone to mistakes.<\/p>\n Swann admitted a decision that cost Ollie Dempsey a goal in Geelong\u2019s four-point loss to Carlton<\/a> in round 12 was a goal umpire error, while confirming that Hawthorn\u2019s Mitch Lewis should have been paid a goal square mark<\/a> in the dying minutes of their six-point loss to Western Bulldogs last Friday.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was a mark, and they [the umpires] admitted that they got that wrong,\u201d Swann told SEN.<\/p>\n Related Article But Swann dismissed criticism that the league introduced rules on the run.<\/p>\n He said the AFL sat down with the umpiring department every Monday to identify trends and make adjustments.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen people say there\u2019s a rule of the week, there actually isn\u2019t,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The former Brisbane Lions chief executive, who moved to league headquarters this year, said the game was in good health \u2013 scores were up, stoppages were down, and three minutes had been knocked off the length of games.<\/p>\n He said the league intended to continue with its four-umpire system and would be sending a mid-year update to clubs next Monday.<\/p>\n Here are the key points he touched on.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Milking the shot clock<\/p>\n Essendon fans were left exasperated when Carlton forward Harry McKay indicated he was taking a shot at goal<\/a> from outside the 50m arc deep into their clash at the MCG on Sunday only to direct the ball to the top of the goal square after wiping 49 seconds off the clock.<\/p>\n \u201cThe direction is, if they [the players] call it, they\u2019ve got the 30 seconds, then they must start to walk in at 30 seconds,\u201d Swann said.<\/p>\n Related Article \u201cOur looking at that was Harry started walking in at 29 seconds.<\/p>\n \u201cHe took his sweet time to walk, I think he got up to about 40 or 41, so he should have probably got a bit of a hurry-up at that stage. But it is at the umpire\u2019s discretion.\u201d<\/p>\n Swann said he was sympathetic to the umpires at that moment because a player such as McKay was capable of taking a 60m shot on goal.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a hard one to have a hard and fast rule. It\u2019s the first one we\u2019ve had blatantly this year, so we are not jumping at shadows at the minute, we\u2019re not going to change it, but it has to be monitored,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Swann said the league did not want to reward the baulker \u2013 a ruckman who shied at the centre square ball-up so that his opponent leapt early and gave away a free kick for crossing the line.<\/p>\n \u201cA shout-out to Brodie Grundy, he\u2019s probably the best one at it,\u201d Swann said.<\/p>\n Related Article \u201cBut again, it\u2019s smart. He\u2019s just, \u2018what can I do, what can\u2019t I do, what can I get away with?\u2019 \u2026 but we\u2019re not that keen to reward the baulker. So if you sort of jump and the other guy doesn\u2019t, we\u2019re looking to not pay those free kicks.\u201d <\/p>\n The lasso rule<\/p>\n Swann said umpires were awarding on average four kicks a game for the last-disposal out-of-bounds rule between the 50m arcs.<\/p>\n \u201cIn our analysis, there\u2019s probably 80 per cent of skill errors and 20 per cent of those sort of accidents \u2026 it bounces off someone\u2019s shin, or it comes off the back of the heel,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe way we determined it was, if you\u2019re in the goal square and that happens, and it becomes a goal, then that\u2019s how we\u2019ll determine it around the boundary. So, if it does come off the back of your foot, off a heel, or comes off your shin, it\u2019s a goal. So, we work on the same premise [for last disposal].<\/p>\n \u201cWe think the lasso has worked really well. We\u2019ll keep monitoring it, but that\u2019s what we\u2019re looking for at the minute.\u201d<\/p>\n Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell was critical of umpires for cancelling a Nick Watson goal<\/a> in their win against Adelaide because the small forward had moved off his line when taking an after-the-siren shot.<\/p>\n Mitchell said Watson\u2019s arc had taken him closer to the boundary line and had not improved his angle.<\/p>\n But Swann said players had to kick over the man on the mark.<\/p>\n \u201cThe man on the mark has to have an opportunity to touch the ball as somebody\u2019s having a shot for goal,\u201d he said. \u201cThat will be the dominant rule versus, \u2018you\u2019re not allowed to improve your angle\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf you kick the ball on an arc, you\u2019re improving your opportunity, and you\u2019re getting around the guy on the mark.\u201d<\/p>\n Swann said players could start outside the direct line as long as they ended up kicking over the man on the mark.<\/p>\n \u201cWe all talk about the \u2018Buddy\u2019 [Lance Franklin] rule. Buddy can start two or three metres to his right, and he runs in an arc, but he kicks over the man on the mark. That\u2019s fine.\u201d <\/p>\n The ARC<\/p>\n Swann said the ARC did not have time to overrule a decision that cost Geelong\u2019s Ollie Dempsey a goal against Carlton, despite replays showing the ball had come off his shin and should have been ruled a legal kick.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was on me, that decision,\u201d Swann said. \u201cThere were two things. So, [goal umpire] David Rodan should have referred it to the ARC because he got knocked over.<\/p>\n Related Article \u201cBut because he didn\u2019t, the instruction then is to the ARC, \u2018If you can clarify what\u2019s happened before the ball comes back into play, you call it\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n Blues defender Nick Newman took just five seconds to restart play, beating the ARC\u2019s decision-making process by two seconds.<\/p>\n \u201cThe instruction was, \u2018Don\u2019t bring it back, it\u2019s already in play\u2019,\u201d Swann said. \u201cSo, the ARC wasn\u2019t at fault there. The fault was, David should have referred it, and he didn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n But Swann expected the ARC to have even greater insight leading into the finals.<\/p>\n \u201cWe get a whole set of new cameras in August, just for the last few games, and then leading into the finals, which should be able to be quicker, with better definition,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019ll be able to see a lot clearer, a lot quicker, and hopefully that improves it.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Holding the ball<\/p>\n Swann said the contentious decisions among fans were always holding the ball. But he admitted it was difficult for umpires to adjudicate whether a player had prior opportunity.<\/p>\n \u201cEven the decision about if you tackle and hold an [opponent\u2019s] arm, that\u2019s holding the ball, but if you tackle and you\u2019ve got both arms pinned, then that\u2019s a ball up,\u201d Swann said.<\/p>\n \u201cSo they\u2019re the grey areas that you sort of look and go, \u2018How do we clarify that?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Swann said at the end of the season the league would look at rules that were difficult to umpire. \u201cThe one that I think, and this is personal \u2026 if you get tackled, and you try and kick the footy, and you don\u2019t kick it, as in, you have a swing and a miss, in my view, I reckon that\u2019s dropping the ball.\u201d<\/p>\n In the back<\/p>\n Swann said a point they had raised this week was the push-in-the-back interpretation.<\/p>\n He said players were allowed to hold their position while taking a mark by placing their hands in an opponent\u2019s back, but some were getting away with pushing.<\/p>\n \u201cIf it\u2019s a blatant push, pay the push in the back,\u201d he said. \u201cAt the moment it seems it is sort of trending towards, so long as you mark it, you can sort of do whatever you like.\u201d<\/p>\n News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport are sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n Save<\/p>\n You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n![\"Greg](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/efb29cfeb19e863dda0934bbf34a7743c4861e70b014b534b4de9f309c59e411.jpeg\")
Greg Swann says the ARC ran out of time to award Ollie Dempsey this goal.Seven<\/p>\n![\"Nick](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1780724891_581_6eec3adaf6f1711fa16ab36410ea23c15e03a110.jpeg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Brotherly](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/cc9ad869c245123b8d46da5d20148e7e6df952be.jpeg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Sydney\u2019s](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/88d39297b3fc35088cd538d180c55c465f81c3cb.jpeg\")
Sydney\u2019s Brodie Grundy and Melbourne\u2019s Max Gawn do battle in the ruck.Getty ImagesThe ruck rule<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1780170078_628_cde2dfa4c4269147beb531e5dfc9b5358f9e0bf228feb0f0d3be27d9b6e2c1b3.gif\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Nick](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ea8592476b4807fb163d6d93a603e8c25027b0cb.jpeg\")
Nick Watson had a goal disallowed in the Hawks’ big win over St Kilda.AFL PhotosKicking over the mark<\/p>\n![\"Hawthorn\u2019s](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1781077491_915_32321dcdd617b849db4e53eabfc5145b543f8ff5604ecd21d0d5e20f98cf2c22.jpeg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n