A controversial non-free kick to Jamie Elliott rocked the last quarter of Brisbane’s 29-point preliminary final victory against Collingwood at the MCG on Saturday night — and split pundits post-game.
With nine minutes and 40 seconds remaining in the match, Tim Membrey popped a short pass over to Elliott on his own out the back, roughly 15 metres out from goal, after the Magpies caught the Lions on the fast break from half back.
Lions defender Brandon Starcevich, who Elliott took “one of the great finals marks” on in the opposite goal square during the third term, desperately sprinted back to make a contest, and appeared to infringe for front on contact despite his admirable effort.
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The closest umpire did not seem to think so, however, as no whistle came and the Lions defenders were able to scramble back to force a boundary through in.
If a free had have been paid, Elliott, who kicked a game high four goals, would have had a relatively straight forward set shot to reduce the margin to just six points.
But the Lions went coast-to-coast from the throw in, with Logan Morris finding Charlie Cameron out the back with a superb kick, and Cameron converted his left foot snap to put Brisbane three goals up.
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Fox Footy commentators were outraged by the non-decision, even if they were not as livid as the Magpie army.
“Brought down surely!” was the call from Mark Howard on commentary.
“Umpires say play on. That’ll be analysed.
“It’s been paid all year the front on contact.”
North Melbourne two-time premiership player David King then added: “He froze. The umpire froze. Elliott took the perfect position to draw the contact.
“He just frozen the umpire. There’s no doubt there’s a free kick every day of the week.
“He’s actually getting out the back of Starcevich consistently and that there is chopping the arms, front on contact, whatever you like.”
Caller Dwayne Russell asked: “Is that not why we’ve got a four-umpire system? So, if one umpire cannot see, another can?”
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Triple premiership Tiger Jack Riewoldt declared the free kick “should have been paid”, adding: “There’s four of them (umpires) out there, as you say. One of them needed to pay it.”
Brisbane ran away with the match from then on as Cameron’s goal was the first of four straight unanswered goals to book a rematch with Geelong, who they lost a qualifying final to a fortnight ago, next week.
But as the clock ran down, Riewoldt pondered the impact the non-call had on the momentum of the game, saying in the final minute: “Collingwood supporters will ask all week: what if that free kick had been paid to Jamie Elliott?
“The Jamie Elliott moment, that will be one of the biggest talking points all the way through even this week and further on from that as well.”
Post-game, former Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley said there was “no doubt it changed the momentum of the last quarter”.
Riewoldt and Hawthorn legend Jason Dunstall then engaged in a debate over the call.
Jason Dunstall: I’ve got to be honest, the more I look at it, the more I think the umpire made the right decision. At no stage does he take his eye off the ball. He is running flat stick with his head up tracking the ball and it looks like he maybe got a finger on the ball, not so much the arm. I think the umpires often take their queues from where the players’ eye are and, to his Starcevich’s credit, his eyes never left the ball.
Jack Riewoldt: “Jase, if you’re at one end of the pole, I’m at the complete opposite end of the pole. That is a free kick every day of the week in the biggest game of the year …
JD: Why is the free kick there?
JR: … it’s front on contact.
JD: Where did he hit him?
JR: It doesn’t matter whether he’s got his eyes on the ball, it’s front on contact … he chops his arms here.
JD: Does he chop the arm or does he get the ball?
JR: That’s an arm chop there …
JD: That’s the ball! He’s got his fist hitting the ball, mate.
JR: That is front-on contact, that is a free kick every day of the week.
JD: Okey doke. That to me looks like his fist is there right near where the ball is – in-between his hands.”
Seven-time All-Australian Nathan Buckley added: “I understand he has his eyes on the ball and that he might get his fist on the ball, but the arm chop is still a thing and front-on contact still a thing. That’s a free kick.”
The panel then threw down to the Lions’ rooms where Herald Sun reporter Jon Ralph was challenged by triple premiership star Jonathan Brown.
Jon Ralph: The AFL will clarify it and the AFL umpiring department will assess it – and I’d imagine by very early tomorrow morning, we’ll get a decision that this is a blatant error. I think it’s as blatant an umpiring error as we’ve seen this year in the context. Having looked at it in slo-mo, the three points you’re looking for are no eyes on the ball, he takes Elliott’s left arm …
Jonathan Brown: Nah have got to pull up on that, ‘eyes off the ball’?
JR: He takes his body … He didn’t have eyes on the ball.
JB: Hang on, play that again. Ralphy put your glasses on.
JR: You think he spins around and turns his head?
JB: No, I’m talking about the first component … Watch his eyes. He has got his eyes on the ball
JR: Any of those things have to be applicable there for it to be a free kick. He takes his left arm, he takes his body …
JB: Look at that! Look at his eyes. He’s clearly got his eyes on the ball there.
JR: That’s fine, you’re allowed to punch the ball, but if you drag the arm as he does … my point is, this is a blatant free kick, this is not something the umpire should be intervening in.
JB: Yes it’s a 50-50call, but you have said two things that you think you’ve seen. But the vision doesn’t show that. He had eyes on the ball and he didn’t drag his arm …
JR: He chops the arm
JB: I didn’t think he even chops the arm. But to the outside world, when it happens, you think ‘it’s a free kick’ – I thought it was a free kick …
JR: So Starcevich has to turn and he has to have his body going the other direction. You can’t just clatter into a player and say ‘I might’ve got the ball’ or ‘my eyes were looking in that vicinity’. You actually have to be spinning around and try and get your body towards where that ball is.”
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