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‘Bit disturbing’: Matthews says Lynch goal should not have been overturned
Jon Pierik
AFL great Leigh Matthews says the decision to overturn Tom Lynch’s goal against Brisbane in Thursday night’s elimination final was “a bit disturbing” and should not have occurred.
Matthews, the four-time premiership coach with the Lions and Collingwood, and now a Seven commentator, said, on the evidence he was presented, there was not enough evidence to have a goal overturned by the AFL review centre with less than two minutes to play that would have extended the Tigers’ lead to an almost unbeatable nine points.
The goal umpire made the soft call that it had been a goal but the review determined the ball would have hit the post.
“I kind of would like it more definitive, particularly when you have got a situation, the assessment was, if the post went up 50m, the ball would have actually hit the post rather than going over the top of the post, that’s what the score review officer, the bunker man as we call him, came up with,” Matthews said on 3AW on Friday.
Tom Lynch awaits for a final call to be made on his shot for goal on Thursday night.Credit:AFL Photos
“It’s a bit disturbing to be honest because you want it to be definitive – I don’t know what the balance of probabilities are. Does it need to be 99 per cent or 90 per cent or 60 per cent? That’s what the debate is all about.”
Late on Thursday night, the AFL ruled the decision correct, declaring: “The ARC reviewed all the camera angles and it is viewed as a definitive behind. The correct call was made.”
While Lynch reacted as if he had missed the goal after his kick, Tigers coach Damien Hardwick took aim at the video review system, describing the ARC as “not good enough”.
Four-time premiership Hawk Luke Hodge was also baffled by the decision. “For something that has to be 100 per cent accurate, when you saw that [vision] plus you heard the umpire has called a goal, I was sitting there thinking: ‘You can’t over-rule that’,” he said.
Former St Kilda coach Grant Thomas took to social media to question the call.
“If AFL have vision through ARC that we don’t see that should be divulged. For AFL to come out and say: ‘The ARC reviewed all camera angles and it is viewed as a ‘DEFINITIVE’ behind. The correct call was made’ is treating fans as fools,” Thomas wrote.
The overturned call gave the Lions hope, with Joe Daniher snapping the winning goal with a minute remaining, booking a semi-final berth.
Matthews said he had believed that conclusive evidence was needed for a decision to be overturned.
“That was my understanding. The whole idea of the score review system, it’s in now, it’s not going anywhere, is to remove clangers. If a goal umpire makes a definitive mistake, OK, even the touched, you see the fingers moving, so it does exist,” Matthews said.
“The ones where the ball goes over the top of a post, a goal post, the assessment is, would it have hit the post if the post went up higher, I don’t know whether the camera angle is good enough to give you definitive views on that.
“As I say, sometimes you hope that the person, the score review officer, has got better vision than we have, or has more conclusive vision than we have because, to me, no it wasn’t conclusive and therefore overturning the goal umpire was just a gigantic decision.”
Matthews, a Lions’ board director, conceded the Tigers would almost certainly have won had the Lynch goal been allowed.
“That’s the balance of probabilities … because it would have meant they were nine points in front with about two-and-a-half minutes to go,” he said.
Matthews said Lynch’s reaction should not have been taken into account, for players weren’t always in the best position to judge an angle.
North make more list changes
Jon Pierik, Najma Sambul
The rebuild of North Melbourne under new coach Alastair Clarkson continues apace, with Kyron Hayden, Matt McGuinness and Patrick Walker delisted.
Hayden, taken with pick No.62 in the 2017 national draft, debuted in 2019 and went on to play 17 games as a defender. He played five games this season.
Defender Kyron Hayden has played his last game as a Kangaroo.Credit:Getty Images
McGuinness, taken as a next gen academy product in 2019, and Walker, taken with the second pick in the 2020 rookie draft, did not play a senior game.
The Kangaroos have selections one, 55 and 66 in the national draft and hope for extra assistance from the AFL, having won only two matches this season. Clarkson, who is overseeing significant change in the football department, has also been in contact with a slew of experienced players from rival clubs.
Meanwhile, North Melbourne midfielder Jy Simpkin has claimed the Syd Barker Medal for a second year running after his impressive 2022 season. The 24-year-old tallied 130 votes to nab the best and fairest.
In his sixth AFL season, Simpkin played 21 out of a possible 22 games and averaged 26 disposals and five clearances per game. Luke Davies-Uniacke was second with 108 votes, followed by midfielder Bailey Scott who received 98 votes.
The best young player award was handed to last year’s No.1 draft pick Jason Horne-Francis despite his tough season. The 19-year-old averaged 16.5 disposals per game in 17 appearances. Horne-Francis has committed to seeing out his contract with North Melbourne but has not spoken on long-term plans to stay on with the club.
Syd Barker Medal Top 10
1. Jy Simpkin – 130 votes
2. Luke Davies-Uniacke – 108
3. Bailey Scott – 98
4. Todd Goldstein – 93
5. Luke McDonald – 88
6. Nick Larkey – 79
7. Cam Zurhaar – 66
8. Aidan Corr – 59
9. Hugh Greenwood – 51
10. Lachie Young – 50
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