The AFL continues to investigate the circumstances that led to play being incorrectly stopped during Sunday’s match between Brisbane and Sydney.
The league admitted on Monday the umpires erred in making a contentious stretcher call involving Sydney’s Callum Sinclair at the Gabba.
The ball was in dispute and deep in the Lions’ forward line when play was halted late in the thrilling contest, which the Swans won by three points.
The emergency umpire incorrectly blew his whistle after a stretcher had been called for Sinclair, who was in a great deal of pain at the other end of the field.
“It was an error … once the controlling umpire hears that, he then stops play,” AFL football operations manager Mark Evans said on Fox Footy.
“There’s no need to stop play unless the ball is actually going to the injured player or the stretcher carriers.
“Other than that we just normally stop it when the ball goes out of bounds.”
The early fear was Sinclair had suffered a serious knee injury but he limped off the ground without requiring the stretcher.
Evans suggested the AFL was still investigating the incident.
“We’ve had some contact with the Swans today and we’ll go through that over the next day or so,” he said.
Lions coach Justin Leppitsch queried the timing of the decision to bring on the stretcher and whether a team could use such an incident as a tactic to stop the game and get more players back in their defensive 50.
“We all saw it, a bloke tripped over his own feet and they called a stretcher,” Leppitsch said.
“Can we use it as a tactic, now, can we? I don’t know.”
“Wouldn’t you be filthy? Of course you would be.”
Lions CEO Greg Swann told afl.com.au there was some clarity around the issue.
“We accept it now and move on,” Swann said.
“We thought they got it wrong, it doesn’t help us now, but let’s hope it doesn’t happen again.”
Sydney defender Dane Rampe was reluctant to comment on the issue on Monday but said it appeared Sinclair had cramp and hyperextended a knee.
“We were a little bit confused when the whistle went, but obviously the game stopped and they made whatever call they made,” Rampe said.
Maggie
Guest
Thanks mattyb - I hope TomC reads your comment!
Paul D
Roar Guru
Stretcher was a non-issue, and Leppa would probably like to have his time over again regarding his remarks. Wears his heart on his sleeve. But as a coach he needs to set an example for his player and not whinge about things beyond his control. I’d rather he focused on the effort from the players.
mattyb
Guest
Maggie,your comments on this issue have been excellent. You have been able to separate where the wrong behaviour lies in comparison to people making mountains out of molehills in regard to the stretcher.
Maggie
Guest
I agree, Leppitsch's description of what happened was wrong. Gardiner heavily bumped Sinclair from behind causing Sinclair to fall awkwardly twisting his knee. There is a clear view of what happened one minute into this video footage. http://www.sydneyswans.com.au/video/2016-05-02/rampe-press-conference-may-02-2016
Jim
Guest
I wish the afl would come out and correct leppistch on ahat happened with sinclair. Yes he tripped over 1st time around, but it was in fact a substantial (and potentially illegal) shepherd that put him to the ground the second time - something obvious at the ground but not clearly shown on the broadcast.
swift foetus
Guest
glenn mitchi will want to have a send off rule for the umps