AFL 2025: Collingwood ask for clarification on high contact free kick

Collingwood requested clarification on a specific free kick paid on Saturday night, feeling it went against the league’s strong stance on concussion.

Collingwood sought clarity from the AFL for a free kick paid against one defender in last Saturday’s thrilling loss to Geelong, believing it went against the league’s strong stance on concussion.

Magpies coach Craig McRae revealed the club “sought out” an explanation from the AFL regarding the free paid against Brayden Maynard, contending that Geelong’s Shaun Mannagh was rewarded for “leading with his head to force contact”.

The game was filled with contentious umpiring decisions late, including a tripping free kick against Bobby Hill and touched ball that denied Lachie Schultz a goal.

But the Magpies requested explanation around the Maynard decision in the second-quarter contest as they believed it contradicted the AFL’s concussion philosophy.

“Actually, we only sought out clarification on Shaun Mannagh leading with his head into Brayden Maynard,” McRae said.

Shaun Mannagh (left) and Brayden Maynard clash after the Cat kicked a goal. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

“I just thought it was something worth following up because we’re all here, the whole game wants to protect the head right now.

“I think it’s something you don’t want to have, a player leading with his head to force contact.

“We just asked around that free kick, that was the only one we contested.”

McRae was strongly against critiquing the umpiring post-game, insisting the decisions against Hill and Schultz did not alter the end result.

“No, no, if I am going to be a winner here, I don’t act like a loser. The decisions are the decisions,” McRae said on Saturday.

“I thought Bobby might have been a bit stiff, I saw the replay, I saw it live, he did fall to his knees, but I still think he’s a bit stiff on that one.

“That is a difficult one (the score review) because the rules are the rules. I think it was (soft call) touched and then inconclusive so called a point.

“Do I love that? Not really, but it didn’t decide the game. We still had the ball in our hands when the siren was going to win the game and I thought we had other chances to win the game.

“It seemed like a couple of things didn’t go our way, but it wasn’t the reason we lost.”