Key posts
Two games kicking off at once
Buckle in, footy lovers, we have action galore today.
Two games have just kicked off, and we will bring you all the action.
We have the Lions and Giants locking horns at the Gabba, while the Kangaroos are doing battle with the Eagles in Hobart.
Umpires come under fire after Magpies bow out of finals race
Hawthorn champion Luke Hodge has questioned a crucial umpiring exchange during the last-quarter of Sydney’s nail-biting victory over Collingwood in a match that Craig McRae believes should have been decided by a 50m penalty in the last 30 seconds of the game.
In his post-match press conference, the Collingwood coach said forward Daniel McStay should have been awarded a 50m penalty that could have saved the Magpies’ season.
The Collingwood coach believes Swans defender Tom McCartin overran the mark and should have been penalised, a decision that would have taken McStay to within 15m of goal and given him the opportunity to kick for the lead with 30 seconds remaining in the match.
A goal would have put Collingwood three points ahead and would have kept their season alive
Magpies players react at full-time after their loss to the Sydney Swans.Credit: via Getty Images
The umpires did not make the call, and instead the Swans were able to hold on for a thrilling three-point win at the SCG. Sydney kicked the last five goals of the game after trailing by 27 points during the final term.
“I reckon if it was at the MCG, it would have been paid,” McRae said of the incident.
“There is definitely an advantage for a home crowd. I thought it was a 50-metre penalty to the letter of law.
“I’m sure the AFL will come out and say it’s a free kick or a 50-minute penalty.”
McRae also questioned why umpires paid two deliberate out-of-bounds decisions against Mason Cox and Darcy Moore in a frantic final term.
“There were a lot of deliberates (out of bounds) tonight, too. That was a bit of a circus,” McRae said.
“So, I’m sure they (the AFL) will come out and justify that too. But, umpires don’t always get it right. That’s fair.”
Hodge questioned why the adjudicating umpire allowed himself to be overruled on the Cox decision.
“The adjudicating umpire was going to call it a throw in and then the bloke who was 50m off to the side, you could hear in the mic, he told him ‘nah, that was deliberate, pay it, pay it’,” Hodge told SEN.
“They both had a clear line of sight. Why would the person who was further away from the ball, get to overrule the umpire who made a decision to say, ‘throw it in’?
“I was right above the Cox one, I could see it clearly, I was looking at the umpire who was in charge and he was about to call a ‘ball in’ before the umpire 30-40-50m away to the right, overruled the umpire in charge.”
Hall of Fame legend Leigh Matthews did not believe that the venue played a role in the umpires overlooking a 50m penalty for McStay against Sydney at the SCG.
“I don’t buy into what Fly said, I don’t think that it would’ve been any different had it been at the MCG or SCG,” Matthews told 3AW.
“It would’ve been a 50-metre penalty 70 or 80 per cent of the time, but umpiring is like that, it’s a grey area.”
North Melbourne premiership player David King thought the umpires needed to be braver when faced with crucial decisions late in games.
“The umpires didn’t have the prunes to pay the 50, it would’ve been a big call, it would’ve been a game-changing call,” King said on SEN.
Brisbane lands a draft treasure
By Marc McGowan
There was never any doubt, but Levi Ashcroft made it official on Thursday when he confirmed he would join his brother Will at Brisbane to become the Lions’ answer to the Daicoses.
The Ashcroft boys’ father, Marcus, played 318 games for Brisbane, most memorably featuring in the Lions’ 2001-03 flag three-peat.
All that must happen now is for the Lions to match an opposition bid at the AFL draft in November, when Ashcroft will be among the first players picked, as a father-son selection.
Levi Ashcroft’s dream to play with his brother Will in the AFL is a reality.
The rest of the league were so certain of Ashcroft’s intentions that the recruiting teams for Richmond, North Melbourne and West Coast – who are set to hold the first three picks in this year’s draft – had not even interviewed him.
Will Ashcroft and Nick Daicos were the second and fourth picks, respectively, in their draft years despite being considered the best prospect in their class.
Levi Ashcroft came in at No.2 in The Age’s most recent draft rankings last weekend, and will run out for the Lions’ VFL team against the Giants on Sunday before turning his attention to the Sandringham Dragons’ tilt at three flags in a row.
Read the latest installment of Marc McGowan’s AFL draftees Nathaniel Sulzberger, Noah Mraz and Levi Ashcroft throughout the 2024 season for our Draft Dreams series as they bid to join the big time in November.
Why Shiel can still make a difference for Bombers
By Peter Ryan
Essendon’s Dylan Shiel jogged everyone’s memories with an inspired burst of brilliance in the final quarter of the Bombers’ come-from-behind win over Fremantle last Sunday.
The exceptional final clearance from inspirational skipper Zach Merrett made the headlines, but it was Shiel – the one-time All-Australian Shiel – who shifted the momentum of the match.
His three consecutive clearances midway through the final quarter led to Essendon goals as he used his ballroom dancer’s feet and sharp hands to put teammates into enough space to create scoring chances with deep forward-50 entries.
Dylan Shiel.Credit: Getty Images
Quickly, the Bombers went from 17 points behind to one point up against the Dockers.
It was Shiel’s fifth consecutive game back following his arduous return to the AFL after a pre-season delayed due to foot and knee surgery. He endured a lengthy stint in the VFL, a tough test for someone with more than 200 games to his name.
But his performance provided a pointer to what a second coming of Shiel could offer the Bombers for the remainder of this season and beyond.
“Even now he would be in the top few at zero to 15 metres off the mark,” former teammate Devon Smith said. “[He’s a] very powerful, fast-twitch-fibre guy. He’s a freak.”
Shiel still has one year left on his Essendon contract but remains of interest to other clubs, such as St Kilda.
Read the full story here.
Welcome to a blockbuster Saturday of AFL
Welcome to a five-match AFL bonanza today.
My name is Danny Russell and I will anchor you through the action.
