Geelong coach Chris Scott questioned the AFL’s scoring system after a controversial mistake robbed the Cats of a crucial first-quarter goal in Friday night’s thriller at the MCG – declaring the technology was there for a purpose and should have been used.
The challenge was when Ollie Dempsey’s bid was called for running back by referee (and former Richmond, Port Adelaide and Melbourne player) David Rodan, for what would have been the first goal of the game.
The game resumed immediately, barring the AFL’s review center (ARC) from intervening under the AFL’s recently revised score review protocols.
Last month, more than 30 seconds of play was erased from the game between the Saints and the Eagles after an incident involving Rowan Marshall in which he appeared to be marked before the ball crossed the back line. The AFL then changed the rules regarding ARC inspections.
AFL football boss Greg Swann – citing the game’s long delay (almost a minute) – announced that the ARC would no longer overturn a goal referee’s decision, unless the goal referee had asked for a review.
The clean sheet proved crucial in the contest it was eventually won by Carlton by just four points over the Cats – 12.16 (88) to 12.12 (84) – after overturning a 20-point deficit in front of more than 60,000 fans.
Scott stopped short of launching attacks on the AFL, but made it clear he believed the system had failed.
“The goalie was knocked down. I would probably fundamentally disagree with the idea that someone is sitting in the ARC, and they don’t see (that),” Scott said.
“The technology is there for the whistleblower, and someone inside the ARC should have seen that it was a beeper within seconds.”
While Scott accepted the decision could not be overturned under current law, he questioned whether the process itself remained fit for purpose.
“From the beginning I thought it was worth investigating,” he said.
The veteran coach suggested the incident was frustrating because the issue became apparent in real time.
“It’s amazing (it’s not taken in real time), but I’m easily surprised by these things,” he said.
“I think the surprising part is that we’ve seen some games this year … I’m not a big fan of all the drama surrounding the score check (system). It seems to take too long, sometimes when it’s so obvious that you don’t need a check.”
Scott was asked about the AFL’s role in this incident, given the recent rule changes.
“There are some things I would like my opinion to be heard – which is very low on the list. I’m not sure they need my help,” he said.
“That whole department should be held to the highest standards but, frankly, I’m not going to spend a second thinking about it.
“I hope you can say, it’s rubbing the green kind of thing in my opinion. I absolutely agree that the AFL should spend time in their processes. We’ll let them do that, and we’ll move on.
“How long did the game take? Let’s say 110 minutes.
“The last 109 minutes will be our focus in the review.”
Despite his frustration, Scott resisted the temptation to force defeat on the controversial decision, refocusing attention on Carlton’s performance.
“You guys will talk more about it,” he said.
“I don’t think I have much more to add.
“I thought they (the Blues) were very aggressive.”
Scott pointed to Carlton’s dominance being almost halted by the Blues’ vast improvement under interim coach Josh Fraser.
After conceding four of the first five goals of the game, Carlton took control of the contest and repeatedly punished Geelong in transition, with Jagga Smith and Will Hayward among the architects of the comeback, with captain Patrick Cripps scoring.
Scott admitted the Blues suspension job was difficult to manage.
“Stop work is their real strength,” he said.
“The contested ball is a real force, and if you’re going to hit it in that area, you want to be really good, yourself.
“I didn’t think we played badly – we didn’t have the spark we had in previous weeks, and they were very good.”
The loss leaves Geelong still in the premiership conversation but ended a high-profile run heading into a tough season.
The fallout from the ARC dispute, however, is likely to continue.
Scott’s main point was simple: Given the AFL has invested in technology designed to eliminate obvious mistakes, it should be able to fix them.
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Sam McClure is an award-winning AFL journalist and broadcaster.Connect through X or email address.
