Port Adelaide v Richmond: Fan up in arms over controversial Tigers’ double goal

Critics arguing the AFL is over-umpired have more evidence after a highly controversial free kick that resulted in a double goal to Richmond in its clash with Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval.

Tom Lynch was gifted a double goal after a controversial free kick.

It was in the 10th minute of the third quarter when Port Adelaide defender Ryan Burton followed key Richmond forward Tom Lynch into an open goal, but was too far behind to do anything about the inevitable major.

Lynch kicked the easiest of goals and slowed down and, as Burton caught up, he gave him a shove in the back, most likely out of frustration.

POWER OUT: TIGERS PIP PORT LATE

BONE: POWER GO BACK TO THE FUTURE

Tom Lynch was gifted a double goal after a controversial free kick.

It can be argued that it was the lightest of pushes, and that Lynch was clever enough to take a dive.

He got the result: another shot at goal from an unmissable range, and all of a sudden a wave of energy swept over the Tigers.

The lively Liam Baker kicked the next for Richmond, then Lynch, the club’s star recruit, kicked another one and Richmond was up by 15 points after trailing for the whole first half.

One of the things people talked about after the match was whether it was a free kick or not, with most people thinking it was there even though it seemed harsh.

It’s not the question that matters.

It’s what it did to the game.

Travis Boak continued his stunning start to the 2019 season. Picture: Sarah Reed

Momentum can grow, and it can be switched on in an instant. This was the latter.

Port fought back, and had a smaller momentum shift, triggered by former captain Travis Boak — who is having an outstanding start to the season — who stole a bouncing ball from Tiger defender Nathan Broad, gathered, and managed to get the ball to Sam Gray for an easy goal.

In Port’s swing, which never seemed to have the same energy, Burton had some joy in kicking a goal from around the 50m mark on the boundary to make up for the major he gifted.

But it’s not that simple, a goal for a goal.

Port Adelaide cashed in on a sloppy kick out of bounds from second-gamer Sydney Stack in the last quarter and set Ollie Wines up for an easy goal and the ground came alive again.

Ollie Wines worked hard for the Power. Picture: AAP

Then, with less than five minutes to go, Dan Houston intercepted a Dylan Grimes kick out of the backline and sent it back over his head for the Power to take a four-point lead.

It wasn’t a momentum swinger, because there wasn’t enough time for either team to go on a long streak. There wasn’t enough time left for either team to tire.

But it was the sort of act that turned the final minutes into a frenzy.

Richmond played its best game of the season — despite missing its four best players — because the pressure and the tackling was back.

Nobody will know which swing of momentum was the most important in setting it up.

Soft double goal... Umpires love to get involved. Still think that should reset from the centre bounce too. #AFLPowerTigers

— Alex Thomas (@AthomasFFC) April 13, 2019

Tom Lynch getting a double goal after a late push in the back by Burton. I thought the goal needed to be signalled as all clear before a free kick could be given? #AFLPowerTigers

— Andrew Donnison (@Donno79) April 13, 2019

Umpires are now totally ruining football. An absolute embarrassment to our sport that Lynch double goal. They change games

— SuperCoach Freak (@fantasy_things) April 13, 2019