‘Pathetic’: Fury at ‘crazy decision’ as Nick Daicos double standard exposed

Footy fans are fuming after some shocking calls helped Collingwood win a thriller and a Nick Daicos double standard was exposed.

Western Bulldogs fans have every right to feel hard done by after some costly umpiring calls went against them in their six-point loss to Collingwood on Friday night.

The Dogs took it right up to Collingwood in the first quarter and the match turned into a thriller in the second half, with the Magpies escaping with a 10.16 (76) to 10.10 (70) victory.

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With just one point separating the teams with less than five minutes remaining in the game, Bulldogs defender Bailey Dale scampered towards a loose ball at the junction of the 50-metre arc and the boundary line.

Dale did well to get there before Collingwood’s Dan McStay and he didn’t have control of the ball as it pinballed off him over the boundary.

But in a brutally harsh call, the umpire deemed Dale had shown “insufficient intent” to keep the ball in play and awarded a free kick to Collingwood.

Jason Dunstall said on Fox Footy: “Wow. Gee, he had to cut off the Collingwood player who was going to the footy. That’s tough.”

Bailey Dale was pinged for insufficient intent. Photo: Fox Sports.

Bailey Dale couldn't believe it. Photo: Fox Sports.

Sport reporter Peter Ryan wrote on X: “C’mon ump. That is a crazy insufficient intent decision.”

Shortly after the free kick against Dale, Collingwood’s forward pressure helped veteran Steele Sidebottom kick the matchwinning goal from a contest inside forward 50.

Then in the last minute of the game with Collingwood ahead by a goal, Nick Daicos got the ball and stumbled over the boundary line under minimal pressure in a classic attempt to take time off the clock.

Watch the controversial Dale and Daicos umpiring calls in the video above

But remarkably, he wasn’t penalised for insufficient intent and the contrast between the Dale and Daicos played had viewers up in arms.

“Gee that would have been pinged for running it over the boundary,” Dunstall said in commentary.

One fan wrote on X: “You have to laugh at Dale being pinged for insufficient intent and you have Daicos walk the ball over to silence. Disgraceful.”

A second said: “Daicos dives over the boundary and Dale gets pinged for a spoil, sort out your umpires.”

Another said: “Insufficient intent against Dale. Probably the worst I’ve seen. Yet a minute later Nick Daicos walks it over the boundary & nothing paid. Please don’t ever say that umpires can’t change results. They were pathetic tonight.”

Daicos was Collingwood’s best player, finishing with 39 disposals including 13 in the last quarter.

Nick Daicos was looking for the boundary line. Photo: Fox Footy.

But he didn’t get pinged. Photo: Fox Footy.

Another incident raised eyebrows when Collingwood’s Isaac Quaynor slid towards the Bulldogs’ Lachlan Bramble and took out his legs when there was 30 seconds left in the game.

But no free kick was called — somewhat surprisingly given North Melbourne’s Jackson Archer was given a controversial three-week suspension for his below the knees incident with the Bulldogs’ Luke Cleary last week.

It would have been a handy free kick to send the Bulldogs inside 50 for one last chance to kick a goal and tie the game.

But Collingwood got the best of the whistle, with the lopsided free kick count finishing 33 to 14 in favour of the Magpies.

The has the umpire made a bad decision account posted: “It’s a textbook below the knees free kick. Elects to leave his feet and makes contact with a player who is competing on his feet. A very, very poor missed FK - they had a bad night.”

Isaac Quaynor slides into Lachie Bramble's legs. Photo: Fox Sports.

Footy Frenzy posted: “After the Jackson Archer & Luke Cleary tribunal drama midweek, how on Earth did Quaynor not get called for below the knees last in the 4th quarter. Poor game by the umpires, great game otherwise.”

One fan said: “Does the rule about taking the legs out exist anymore? There should’ve been a free kick against Quaynor in that last 30 seconds.”

Another said: “Gotta feel for Dogs. Pies won free kick count 33 v 14. How was Quaynor taking the legs not paid late???”

Geelong great Jimmy Bartel summed up the game on 3AW: “Great contest, terrible umpiring.”

Matthew Lloyd added: “If that was a Collingwood or Carlton or Bombers on the wrong side of that...that’s as bad umpiring against a side that I’ve seen.

“I don’t get caught up in umpiring too much but 33 to 14 Collingwood’s way. They’d be disappointed with that the Western Bulldogs.”

The result could be soured for Collingwood because Jack Crisp’s bid to break the all-time consecutive games record is now in jeopardy as he could be under MRO scrutiny for his sling tackle on Rhylee West in the opening minutes, which saw the latter’s head hit the ground.

Crisp has played 240 matches in a row and needs only another five to break Melbourne legend Jim Stynes’ benchmark of 244.

Rory Lobb is also facing the prospect of a suspension after his errant fist trying to spoil Mason Cox in the final quarter hit the big American flush in the face, cutting open his cheekbone and flooring him for multiple seconds before he eventually made his way from the field.

The Bulldogs were gallant given they were without Marcus Bontempelli (calf), Adam Treloar (calf), Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, Cody Weightman (knee), Liam Jones (hamstring), Jason Johannisen (hamstring), James O’Donnell (jaw) and Luke Cleary (concussion).

Originally published as ‘Pathetic’: Fury at ‘crazy decision’ as Nick Daicos double standard exposed