The AFL match between the Fremantle Dockers and the North Melbourne Kangaroos on April 7th, 2019 was one of the wildest games of the season. The game featured a dramatic ruling by the umpires that had fans and players alike scratching their heads. In this article, we’ll explain what happened and why the umpires made the call they did.
The drama began in the fourth quarter when Fremantle’s Michael Walters kicked a goal to put the Dockers ahead by two points. The Kangaroos then had a chance to respond with a goal of their own, but their shot was blocked by Fremantle’s Joel Hamling. The umpires then made a controversial ruling, awarding a free kick to North Melbourne for deliberate out of bounds.
The ruling was controversial because it seemed to go against the rules of the game. The AFL rulebook states that a deliberate out of bounds is only called when a player deliberately kicks or handballs the ball out of bounds. In this case, however, it was Fremantle’s Joel Hamling who blocked the ball, not North Melbourne’s player.
Despite the confusion, the umpires’ decision was ultimately correct. According to the AFL rulebook, a free kick is awarded when a player “deliberately interferes with or obstructs an opponent in possession of the ball.” In this case, Hamling had deliberately blocked the ball, thus interfering with North Melbourne’s possession and warranting a free kick.
The umpires’ ruling was ultimately correct, but it certainly caused some confusion in the moment. It’s important to remember that umpires are human and can make mistakes, but they also have a difficult job and must make split-second decisions in the heat of the moment. In this case, the umpires made the right call and it ultimately helped decide the outcome of the game.
In conclusion, the umpires’ dramatic ruling in the Fremantle-Kangaroos AFL match was ultimately correct according to the rules of the game. It may have been confusing in the moment, but it was an important decision that helped decide the outcome of the match.
