AFL admits umpire error on Mac Andrew free kick, backs two more contentious calls

It will come as little relief to Damien Hardwick and the Suns but the AFL has admitted error in Gold Coast’s loss to St Kilda, while also weighing in on two more contentious calls.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JUNE 08: Mac Andrew of the Suns in action during the 2024 AFL Round 13 match between the St Kilda Saints and the Gold Coast SUNS at Marvel Stadium on June 08, 2024 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

The AFL has admitted the Mac Andrew holding free kick which handed St Kilda its fifth win of the season was incorrect but backed in contentious Saturday calls on Elliot Yeo and Tom Greene.

AFL umpires boss Stephen McBurney on Sunday said the officiating umpire would not be dropped for the Andrew error but should have called play on.

Andrew was holding St Kilda’s Max King but the replay showed both players were making contact with each other, with Gold Coast coach Damien Hardwick labelling the free kick “unwarranted” post-match.

McBurney said the umpire had been clear that Andrew was holding King but the better decision would have been to allow play to unfold.

“St Kilda have possession in the middle of the ground and they are about to kick it into their forward 50,” he said.

“The end zone umpire has observation of contact between Andrew and Max King and he assesses that Andrew put both arms around Max King and impeded him and paid holding the man,” he said.

“We think looking at the full context and with all the benefit of the angles we have, we think the better call is no call.

“We don’t think there was enough to constitute holding and we think there was significant contact both ways as they were grappling and running for position. We think the better call in that situation is no call, don’t blow the whistle.”

The AFL has admitted a holding free kick paid against Mac Andrew was incorrect. Picture: AFL Photos

It is the second admission by the AFL this year of a decision that could have turned the match, with the AFL earlier this year saying Sam Draper should have been penalised for dragging the ball back in against Adelaide in the dying stages.

That same rule applies to West Coast’s Elliot Yeo, with McBurney backing in the holding-the-ball decision against Yeo that saw North Melbourne co-captain Jy Simpkin kick the winning goal.

“The ball comes back to Yeo and he drags it back in and he is on his knees when he does that. He is immediately tackled by Simpkin and the rules require that if you dive on the ball or drag it back in you must knock it clear immediately. He doesn’t do that,” he said.

“The tackle is effective and so we say holding the ball is the correct outcome there. The (new) interpretation relates to reasonable time. In the Yeo example reasonable time does not apply to the second tackle. If you dive on the ball or drag it in, the rule is unchanged. You must knock it out immediately.”

The AFL’s rules on holding the ball after diving on top of the football state a free kick will be paid against a player who “dives on top of or drags the football underneath their body” and does not immediately knock it free or dispose of the football correctly.
Technically Yeo was on his knees and trying to get up, rather than having dived on top of the ball, but McBurney made clear he believed that rule still applied to the Eagles star.

The league also ticked off the down-the-ground free kick against GWS mid Tom Green that saw James Sicily awarded a free kick for late contact.

The resultant free kick was taken by Luke Breust, who kicked the winning goal, even though replays showed teammate Mabior Chol should have taken that kick.

“The bump on Sicily did not impact the kick, he got his kick away and the bump came late and it was forceful so that’s a free after disposal and we have been fairly consistent on that all year when it occurs,” McBurney said.

“On replay you could argue Chol was slightly closer than Bruest but the umpire judged Bruest was the closest player and awarded the free kick to Breust.”

Originally published as AFL admits umpire error on Mac Andrew free kick, backs two more contentious calls