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‘Cost Adelaide its season’: AFL confirms controversial no-call ‘technically’ wrong

Adelaide fans were furious at a controversial no-call in Friday night’s loss to Essendon, and now the AFL has admitted they got it wrong.

Ben Cotton and Dylan Bolch
6 min read
April 20, 2024 - 12:30PM
Sam Draper knew exactly what he was doing.
Sam Draper knew exactly what he was doing.

Essendon has outlasted the Crows by five points in an Adelaide Oval thriller after a controversial last-minute decision didn’t penalise Sam Draper for holding the ball.

Draper dived on the ball deep in the Bombers’ defence in the dying seconds as he was tackled by two Crows, however there was no infringement cited by the umpires to seal the result.

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It meant Essendon won 10.18 (78) to 11.9 (75) to see Brad Scott’s side improve to 4-2 on the season, while Adelaide fell to 1-5.

The Bombers epitomised grit and determination in an inspiring Friday night performance that sees them move inside the top eight on the ladder.

But the victory wasn’t without controversy in the dying stages.

With the ball deep inside Adelaide’s forward 50, Essendon ruck Draper dived on the ball to force a stoppage, with half a dozen Crows players thrusting their arms out pleading to the umpires to award them a free kick for holding the ball.

The umpire did not pay a free kick against Draper and the siren sounded marking a gutsy Essendon victory.

It seemed Draper knew exactly what he was doing, even re-enacting his dive on the Adelaide Oval turf post-game, much to the amusement of his teammates.

Jonathan Brown said on Fox Footy: “That’s just rubbing it in.”

Sam Draper knew exactly what he was doing.
Sam Draper knew exactly what he was doing.

AFL confirms Crows were dudded

The AFL released a statement on Saturday confirming it “technically” should have been paid holding the ball against Draper.

“In the moment and at ground level, the umpires believed that Draper dived on the ball, and then the ball came out to Draper’s left, and was then knocked back under him by Walker,” the AFL said.

“In review & with the assistance of the broadcast angle & behind the goals Hawkeye vision providing a clearer look, you can see that the ball moves from under Draper’s chest to under his armpit/shoulder, which means the ball is still in his possession & he’s not immediately knocked it clear.

“Therefore it technically should have been a holding the ball free kick.

“It’s a very challenging one for the umpires in this situation, with the ball on the ground, to see exactly where the ball is, under a large number of players (there were 17 Essendon players in the area) and who has control of it. On ground level they were not certain of all these factors, so they didn’t pay it - which is the correct approach at the time.”

Sports reporter Oliver Caffrey wrote on X: “The Crows have now been officially dudded by officiating in two of their last four games at the Adelaide Oval.”

On Channel 7 Luke Hodge was adamant a free kick should have been paid to give Adelaide a kick at goal to win the game.

“It’s a free kick any way you look at that. The fact that he laid on it, Tex jumped on it. It was the situation of the game.

“The reason why the AFL brought in four umpires was so they could see any angle and pay free kicks. If that was the five-minute mark of the first quarter or the second quarter, all four of those umpires would have jumped in to pay that.

“They didn’t pay it because of the time. They didn’t pay it because they didn’t want to make an error. They made the wrong decision. That should have been a free kick and Tex Walker should have been having a shot on goal.”

He later added: “That umpire has cost Adelaide its season.”

Nathan Buckley said on Fox Footy: “In any part on the field at any time of the game, that is holding the ball.

“Actually there was a little tap in and then he just laid on it.”

Tex Walker fuming at end of Bombers loss
Tex Walker fuming at end of Bombers loss

“I’m pretty speechless … what a win,” Essendon captain Zach Merrett said post-game.

“We mucked up a few of those games last year.

“Amazing effort, an amazing game.

“To get the four points is amazing, but I thought the way we grinded through that third quarter … to fight back and get the result gives us a lot of confidence ahead of ANZAC Day next week.”

There were no late changes, with Lachie Sholl (Adelaide) and Elijah Tsatas (Essendon) named the starting subs.

The Bombers started hot in enemy territory including kicking the first goal of the night within a minute and a half via Harrison Jones.

But for all of Essendon’s dominance in the first half of the opening term, it could only manage one to goal to go with three behinds in an inefficient display.

Ben Keays would capitalise on a rare opportunity at the other end of the ground to get the Crows on the board.

“It’s that final kick going in. They need to lower their vision,” Channel 7 commentator Luke Hodge bemoaned after another Essendon inside 50 misfired.

Jade Gresham kicked a brilliant goal on the run to regain some breathing space for the visitors, with the commentators the recruit looks “happy” at his new club.

Taylor Walker had the last laugh of the opening term with a long-range goal

Demons great Garry Lyon noted on Fox Footy the Bombers “owned the ball, the territory and almost everything” in the first quarter, but that Adelaide managed to stay within arm’s length on the scoreboard.

Zach Merrett, who’d been enormous, received a free kick deep in defence for a high tackle from Jake Soligo despite Merrett appearing to duck his head in a dubious call.

Ben Hobbs kicked the opening goal of the second quarter to extend the Bombers’ lead to 15 points.

Jake Stringer followed with a crafty snap goal to give Essendon a game-high 21-point advantage.

Just when it seemed the Bombers were getting away, two clumsy moments – a Sam Draper 50m penalty and Jayden Laverde turnover on the last line of defence – led to two Crows goals to change the complexion of the game.

“Wow, that’s all I can say, two really bad errors,” Channel 7 caller Brian Taylor said.

Then, in perhaps the biggest moment of the game yet, Jordan Dawson capped off a huge five-minute match with an intercept mark from a kick in and long-range goal – his second in a row – as Adelaide Oval exploded.

Dawson then got stuck into Sam Durham afterwards to prompt a heated moment between both sides.

“He’s energised the them, the skipper,” Channel 7 caller Matthew Richardson said.

Essendon led 4.9 (39) to 5.4 (34) at half-time time after Darcy Fogarty missed a set shot on the siren that could’ve evened the scores.

It was a tight and tough tussle to start the third term as both sides played a more conservative brand.

Adelaide broke the game open halfway through the period though with goals to Soligo and Josh Rachele to make it a 13-point Crows lead.

“This is a great comeback by the Crows, Dawson has led the way. He took responsibility,” Richardson said.

Taylor added: “It’s a barrage at the moment and the Bombers haven’t got the answer.”

Adelaide continued firing with Ned McHenry finishing a hot play with a soccer goal to give the hosts their biggest lead of the game at 17.

Jones got one back for the Bombers when they needed it most, while Kyle Langford added another in a crucial response after seven-straight Crows goals.

A Langford goal at three-quarter time gave Essendon a two-point lead, 8.14 (62) to 9.6 (60).

The Crows looked to again break the game open in the fourth term with the first goal to take the lead back then another as they threatened to run away with it with their vocal fans behind them.

Merrett broke the run with a crucial response for the Dons to make it a one-point game.

Nic Martin gave Essendon the lead back with a mammoth long-range goal in a wild back and fourth contest.

Adelaide pushed hard in the dying minutes as the ball lived in its forward half, though it missed multiple chances.

The Crows pushed until the final seconds of the game, with Draper’s move the final act of the game.

“Looks to me like he fell on it then hooked it back in,” Demons great Garry Lyon said.

Former Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley added: “That’s a brain fade … technically that is in any part of the field of any part of the game holding the ball.”

Triple premiership Lion Jonathan Brown added: “It’s not a brain fade, it’s a winning moment.”

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Originally published as ‘Cost Adelaide its season’: AFL confirms controversial no-call ‘technically’ wrong

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Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/afl/adelaide-left-fuming-over-last-second-call-in-essendon-loss/news-story/248bad4d573020d6f9ce6aa1be7d473c