AFL considering tweaks to score review system for finals after costly error in Adelaide

Immediate changes in the wake of the Ben Keays score review howler are unlikely, but it can be revealed the AFL is considering its options for the finals.

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA – AUGUST 19: Matthew Nicks coach of the Crows during the round 23 AFL match between Adelaide Crows and Sydney Swans at Adelaide Oval, on August 19, 2023, in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Mark Brake/Getty Images)

The AFL is not expected to tweak its goal review system for round 24 in the wake of the umpiring howler in the Adelaide-Sydney match.

While the league have been assessing its score review processes after the Crows were denied a possible match-winning goal last Saturday night, potential changes were not on the horizon for this weekend’s games.

But the AFL will continue to consider its options ahead of the finals series.

Collingwood coach Craig McRae became the latest AFL figure to suggest how the system could be improved, saying he would like to see goal umpires’ soft calls scrapped.

On Saturday night, the goal umpire deemed the ball hit the post from a Ben Keays snap with just over a minute remaining and did not call for a review – both of which the league conceded were clear mistakes.

Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks said on Wednesday his team had moved on after players had the chance to vent their frustration behind closed doors.

His comments were a different tone to those of Crows chairman John Olsen, football director Mark Ricciuto and chief executive Tim Silvers, who had been scathing since the one-point loss to the Swans that ended the club’s finals hopes.

Ben Keays celebrates what he thought was the matchwinner. Picture: Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

“I gave the players a minute to vent and get out any anger they had,” Nicks said.

“We put a countdown timer on and said ‘that’ll do’.

“Whatever gets it off your chest.

“If you dwell on the past, then you’re not going to move forward.”

Saturday night’s goal blunder was the second instance this season that the Crows had been forced to cop a major, late-game mistake.

The league also apologised to the club for a field umpire missing a free kick to captain Jordan Dawson in the last 30 seconds of a two-point loss to Collingwood in round 15 that would have resulted in a shot at goal.

Adelaide is seeking ways for the AFL to help make Saturday night’s error up, such as better fixturing.

The Crows will miss the finals for the sixth consecutive season – four under Nicks.

They will finish their 2023 campaign against West Coast in Perth on Saturday night.

“It would have been nice to get those going our way,” Nicks, whose side had lost five games this season by six points or fewer, said of the two significant errors.

“I’d love for us not to leave it to the last minute of a game to leave it in the hands of someone else of where it is we end up.”

Vision of Ben Keays' disallowed goal against Sydney. Picture: Fox Footy

The AFL is understood to have discussed giving the review system about eight more seconds to decide if it needs to review a questionable behind.

McRae said he spoke to AFL umpire boss Dan Richardson about the review system on Tuesday and suggested letting technology “take care of itself” if there was any doubt.

“When the umpire says, ‘I believe it’s a point’, what if he just said ‘I’m not sure’ … and let them (technology) make the decisions,” McRae said.

McRae said the AFL should consider reviewing every score but did not necessarily need to stop play for a number of seconds after each behind.

“It’s just the grand final test for me – if this (error) happened in a grand final, would we be happy with it? I think most of us know the answer.”

NICKS: CROWS WON’T BE DWELLING ON PAST

Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks says his team has moved on from Saturday night’s controversial loss to Sydney, but not before allowing his players to express their frustration behind closed doors.

“I gave them a minute to vent and get out any anger they had, and we put a countdown timer on it and said that’ll do,” Nicks said.

“Whatever gets it off your chest – they had a chat to the guy next to them and we just talked through it … and moved on.

“It’s not genuine discussion, it’s a statement to move on and we do that week in, week out.

“If you dwell on the past, then you’re not going to move forward.”

Nicks said his side had already moved on from Saturday. (Photo by Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

The AFL confirmed that Adelaide should have been given a goal with 71 seconds remaining on Saturday night when Ben Keays’ snap from the pocket was ruled a behind by the umpire.

It would have propelled the Crows into the lead, instead the Swans prevailed by one point, ending Adelaide’s finals hopes.

Nicks said he would talk to the AFL post-season about what the team thought should happen with goal reviews, but that it was the last thing he was thinking of right now.

Nicks said the side, sitting 13th with a 10-12 record, was now focused on finishing its campaign with a win against West Coast in Perth on Saturday.

Originally published as AFL considering tweaks to score review system for finals after costly error in Adelaide