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Collingwood have claimed premiership glory with a thrilling four-point grand final win over Brisbane… but a controversial moment late in the final quarter has swiftly sent the footy world into uproar.
The Lions won a free kick just beyond their 50m arc after Lachie Neale was tackled below the knees by Magpie Oleg Markov with a little over 80 seconds remaining, which would have enabled them a deep entry to try for the winning goal they needed.
However, with Lions teammate Zac Bailey seemingly failing to hear the umpire’s whistle, so loud was a packed MCG, he quickly hacked the ball inside 50 from Neale’s handball, with the umpire then calling advantage on the play while the footy was in mid-air.
The Magpies were successfully able to repel, with Nick Daicos gathering from a Darcy Moore spoil and passing to Will Hoskin-Elliott, allowing the premiers to run down the clock.
Speaking on Channel 7, former great Matthew Richardson was flabbergasted by the decision.
“Did Brisbane know that was a free kick?” Richardson said.
“That was not a good advantage, that one – that is ridiculous.
“They didn’t even know it was their free kick.”
Four-time premiership winner Luke Hodge described the incident as a ‘poor advantage’ – and the reaction from the wider footy world on social media was even harsher.
Leading the charge was former Lion Tom Rockliff, who claimed the Lions were ‘robbed’ and adjuged the decision ‘disgraceful’.
2005 Sydney premiership player Luke Ablett – a cousin to AFL legend Gary – claimed the ‘umpires won Collingwood a premiership’, pointing to both that decision and a series of contentious non-calls in the Magpies’ thrilling one-point preliminary final win over GWS.
However, popular X account ‘Has the umpire made a Bad decision?’, which offers analysis on contentious AFL umpiring decisions, defended the call.
“I think the ump got it right,” the account wrote.
“Lions kicked the ball forward after FK was called – if that gets marked by Bris and it’s not paid advantage, there would be Howls.
“No real way to read minds and tell if they wanted to take it or not.”
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