Richmond coach Damien Hardwick has slammed the AFL’s video review system, describing the ARC as “not good enough” after a late fourth quarter decision cost the Tigers victory in the elimination final against Brisbane at the Gabba.
A Tom Lynch shot in the dying minutes sailed over the goalpost and the goal umpire made the soft call that it was a goal. However, after a video replay, it was ruled as a behind as it would have hit the post.
The goal would have sealed the match for the Tigers but Brisbane marched down the other end of the field for a Joe Daniher major.
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The AFL on Friday night said the decision was correct, saying in a statement: “The ARC reviewed all the camera angles and it is viewed as a definitive behind. The correct call was made.”
But Hardwick did not pull his punches post-match.
“I just feel the technology is not good enough. It hasn’t been for a long period of time,” he said.
“We’ve put a lot of money into it and clearly it’s indecisive still.
“We’ve got goal umpires. Pick which way you want to go … the whole thing is that the technology is not to the level it needs to be, so either get it better or don’t have it.”
Asked if he was frustrated by the goal being overturned by ARC – on possibly inconclusive evidence – Hardwick said: “That’s up to you guys to figure out. I can’t make that call.
“I sit there and see the same vision you do. I see the umpire make a call and generally it’s got to be definitive to overturn it.”
Asked if he wanted to see some investment into the technology, Hardwick said: “Why don’t we just let the umpires make the call? They’re paid to do a job, let them do a job – or don’t have them, one of the two. To me it just doesn’t make any sense.
“The fact of the matter is we saw a pretty good game of footy and one side had to lose – and unfortunately that was us tonight.”
Lions coach Chris Fagan said the chain of events left him nervous.
“I was sort of watching it on the screen trying to work out what they’d say,” the Lions coach told reporters.
“I didn’t really know what would come up – and I was pretty relieved when it was a point and there was still a chance for us.
“It was a game like that, swings and roundabouts, moments.”
Hardwick said the result summed up Richmond’s 2022 campaign that was ultimately “disappointing”.
“It just probably summed up our year, to be fair,” he said.
“We were in the fight every game and I think we play a style of game that allows us to do that, but the fact of the matter is the things that haunted us throughout the year haunted us again tonight. “The fundamentals of the game, we just weren’t good enough for long enough – that’s as harsh a lesson the game will teach us unfortunately.
“We had some opportunities where if we were a little bit cleaner, we would have been OK.”
— NCA Newswire
