Simon Goodwin questions AFL’s score review system after Jake Lever mark was called back
A controversial moment in the dying stages of an AFL thriller has left one coach seeing red over the league’s “fancy” score review system.
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Melbourne were coming home with a wet sail at the Gabba on Sunday evening as they looked to run over the top of Brisbane.
Their late push ultimately fell agonisingly short as the Lions recorded a nailbiting 7.11 (53) to 7.7 (49) victory.
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However, frustrations boiled over late in the final quarter for Melbourne players, coaches and fans watching on.
With the momentum completely behind them and a little over two minutes left on the clock, Demon Jake Lever took a mark on the goal line and went about launching his side into motion to charge down the ground.
But as Lever set off, the ball was called back by the on-field umpire after the goal umpire asked for a review into the mark.
Replays showed Lever had comfortably marked the ball before crossing the line, but the time to review the play had cost the Demons dearly and allowed the Lions to get their defensive zone set up.
Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin spoke about the incident during his post-game press conference and while he didn’t pinpoint it as the reason why his side lost the game, he urged the AFL to look into how the system works.
“I’m not quite sure how the score review works,” Goodwin said.
“We’ve got this fancy ARC system, but it halted momentum in the game, and I don’t think that’s what it was brought in for. Clearly we were out and we had our opportunity.
“It’s not the reason why we lost the game, but it certainly didn’t help late in the game.
“Hopefully we get the ARC system better. It’s nice and fancy but it’s not doing much.”
Goodwin wasn’t alone in directing criticism towards the score review system with fans watching on left scratching their heads over the call.
Terrible score review v @Melbournefc with couple minutes left. The call to stop play to review mark robbed them of open players & allowed Lions to set up defensively. Momentum halted. Surely wasn't necessary. #AFLDeesLions
— Jake Niall (@JakeNiallTHEAGE) July 26, 2020
Ridiculous score review. #AFLDeesLions
— Titus O'Reily (@TitusOReily) July 26, 2020
That score review has utterly screwed Melbourne. That said, Fritsch, what the holy hell?! #AFLDeesLions
— Jack Hudson (@jhudson_10) July 26, 2020
On Fox Footy’s First Crack Tom Morris, David King and Leigh Montagna broke down just how deflating the review was from a Melbourne perspective.
Showing footage from behind the goals, the Demons had acres of space to surge the ball towards goal and potentially take the lead late in the game.
“Here’s the vision from behind the goals and the whole ground was opening up. Two minutes 25 left on the clock, three points down. But the goal umpire calls for the score review,” Morris said.
“Now this is the view from what Christian Salem saw from the back pocket and you can see there, Nathan Jones was further afield.”
Montagna added: “Jones at the top of the screen is out on the wing, there is no other defender behind him, so he is out. If Salem hits the kick to one of the two Melbourne players, Jones is out on his own and he is running towards goal.
“It is a huge momentum halter.”
“I don’t really like having a go at umpires who get it wrong. The goal umpire had this right,” Morris said.
“His soft call was that it was a mark. He was in the perfect position and he didn’t back himself. The best umpires they feel the game and they understand what’s going on.”
Montagna added: “Under the system he hasn’t done the wrong thing. He is entitled to call for a score review, so in that situation what is he supposed to do?.
“If he gets it wrong he might lose his job.”
In the end the ball was brought back to the goal line with Lever launching the ball towards the boundary and the Demons then going forward after several stoppages only for the Lions to hold on in a thrilling encounter.
Originally published as Simon Goodwin questions AFL’s score review system after Jake Lever mark was called back