AFL concedes Ben Keays’ controversial goal against Melbourne should have been overturned
It hasn’t cost anyone a finals spot, but the AFL has told Melbourne and Adelaide that a controversial goal from Ben Keays should have been overturned by the AFL’s review centre.
AFL
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The AFL has conceded a third-umpire bungle that saw its ARC overrule a correct goal umpiring decision and hand the Crows a decisive goal against Melbourne.
The Herald Sun can reveal the league contacted Melbourne and Adelaide on Monday and conceded the error after Ben Keays’ behind was instead ruled a goal by the AFL video review system.
It was some welcome luck for Adelaide given a string of contentious decisions that have gone against the club, including the failure to review a Ben Keays shot that cost the club finals in 2023.
On that occasion Keays’ shot at goal was assessed as a behind and with no review the Crows lost a decisive contest against Sydney.
On Sunday Keays’ incredible snap shot at goal as he fell to ground was immediately called a behind by the goal umpire with the Crows 15 points ahead halfway through the last quarter.
A trio of Demons defenders attempted to rush the ball with Trent Rivers and Steven May swiping at the Sherrin but missing.
Judd McVee was wrapped around the goalpost and flicked the ball with his hand and immediately signalled that he had touched the football.
The field umpire called a review but the video reviewer in the ARC appeared to review the wrong vision and did not replay the footage far enough to spot McVee touching the ball.
Instead the ARC overruled the field umpire and made him change his decision to a goal.
Fox Footy commentator Jon Brown immediately spotted the error, adamant McVee had touched the ball.
How has Ben Keays done that?!?! 🤯🤯
— Fox Footy (@FOXFOOTY) July 6, 2025
📺 Watch #AFLCrowsDees LIVE on ch.504 or stream on Kayo: https://t.co/JyWEMCMpZl
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🔢 MATCH CENTRE https://t.co/aBxCAMRyyvpic.twitter.com/J4vL99V1Tm
Melbourne fought on but instead of being 16 points down were 21 points down halfway through the quarter.
Adelaide has had a string of unlucky calls including the Keays 2023 decision and the AFL conceding Sam Draper should have been penalised for holding the ball in the final moments of a close Crows loss in April 2024.
Adelaide considered legal action against the AFL to overturn the Keays decision in 2023 but ultimately accepted the AFL’s error.
The AFL continues to experiment with ball- tracking technology but is not yet prepared to implement it in the men’s season.
AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon said on Friday the league was not yet content that the ball-tracking was better than the existing technology.
It will again be in use in the AFLW season, which has never used the third umpire system.
“I wouldn’t say drastic (changes) but there will be refinements. So we used (the chip) in AFLW last season, we are using it in the VFL and we continue to test that. It’s a score assist technology for the AFLW, so it’s really helping there and we won’t bring it into the men’s competition as score review until we are really comfortable it’s better but it might be able to enhance it.”
Originally published as AFL concedes Ben Keays’ controversial goal against Melbourne should have been overturned
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