Power forward Charlie Dixon given 34 seconds to have shot on goal in epic finish against Geelong at Kardinia Park

THE “play on” call made as Charlie Dixon lined up for a shot late in his team’s narrow loss to Geelong Park wasn’t quite right — the umpire was too lenient with the Power forward, says Michelangelo Rucci.

NO Ken Hinkley, the AFL umpires did get it wrong. Field umpire Jacob Mollison gave Port Adelaide key forward Charlie Dixon too much time for his failed set shot at Kardinia Park on Thursday night.

Dixon had 34 seconds from the moment he took his chest mark 45m from goal to when he was called to play on.

That is four seconds more than the 30 granted to forwards for set shots inside 50.

The 30-second “shot clock” was introduced to stop players “milking time”, particularly late in tight games such as Thursday night’s epic at Kardinia Park, when Port Adelaide held a three-point lead on Geelong with 3:48 to play as Dixon marked in front of Cats defender Lachie Henderson.

A review of the final minutes of the game highlights Dixon did not make his first move on his run-up to his set shot until after 33 seconds — three more than allowed.

Had Dixon taken that first step within the 30 seconds, he would have been allowed an unchallenged run-up to the mark for his set shot.

Umpire Mollison called “play on” after 34 seconds, allowing three Geelong players — Henderson, Tom Stewart and Mitch Duncan — to rush Dixon, forcing him to handpass rather than kick. The play finished with a rushed behind.

The match ended with Brownlow Medallist Patrick Dangerfield scoring the winning goal — for the epic two-point victory — with 1:38 on the clock.

The questions of who works the countdown clock at Kardinia Park becomes irrelevant considering Dixon was not short-changed of the 30 seconds allowed for a set shot.

Also the question of whether Dixon should have been handed a 50m penalty as a Geelong player moved behind him is irrelevant. The exclusion zone is 10m from the mark — and Dixon started his run up well beyond these 10m.

Hinkley has taken no issue with the play-on call. The Port Adelaide coach has described Mollison’s handling of the much-debated finish to the game as “100 per cent correct”.

“Time ran out,” said Hinkley.

“Unfortunately, they got it 100 per cent correct, right on the dot.”

Charlie Dixon gets his handball away in time as he is tackled by Geelong’s Lachie Henderson. Picture: Tracey Nearmy (AAP)

This is the third season of the AFL working a 30-second shot clock on scoreboards, although umpires have for much longer been asked to hurry players if they seek to run down the clock with set shots at goal.

“I don’t think I have ever seen it before,” Hinkley said. “But that does not matter. The umpires got it right.

“That’s the rules.

“You are supposed to do it that way. But they haven’t done it that way. If we had a shot clock on everyone, we would see it different. It does not worry me. They got it right. Well done to them.”

Mitch Duncan was one of the three Geelong players who rushed Dixon as Mollison called play on. He says the umpire did warn Dixon he was running out of his allotted 30 seconds.

“I heard the umpire talk to him and he said, ‘You’ve got eight seconds left’,” Duncan said.

“And I looked up at the screen and saw it (the countdown) get to three and I was looking at the umpire waiting for him to throw his hands up (and call play on).

“I just reacted as soon as the umpire put his hands up.

“I guess Charlie took a lot of time and I was lucky enough to read it quickly.”

ON THE CLOCK

3:48 to play

Port Adelaide leads Geelong by three points (78-75).

CHARLIE DIXON takes a chest mark in front of Geelong defender Lachie Henderson after a long kick from Power defender Hamish Hartlett on the Brownlow Stand wing. The mark is 45 metres from goal.

3:15 to play

(after 33 seconds)

DIXON makes his first movement on his set shot at goal.

3:14 to play

(after 34 seconds)

THREE Geelong players move on Dixon — Tom Stewart from Dixon’s left, Henderson on the mark and Mitch Duncan from Dixon’s right — as the field umpire, Jacob Mollison, calls play on.

3:13 to play

(after 35 seconds)

DIXON rushes his handpass to teammate Justin Westhoff to his right. Westhoff’s right-foot shot across goal falls to Jarman Impey who drops the contested mark leading to a behind

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