Essendon star Zach Merrett says AFL should scrap score review system after two errors in Round 11

Essendon star Zach Merrett says the AFL should scrap the score review system as it considers introducing an NRL-style bunker.

The AFL could consider the introduction of a NRL-style bunker. Picture: NRL Photos.

Essendon star Zach Merrett has called on the AFL to scrap the goal review system after it admitted two errors during Round 11 games.

The league has confirmed six major video review errors since May last year, including mistakes in Collingwood’s loss to Fremantle and West Coast’s victory over Western Bulldogs at the weekend.

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The AFL said Sunday night’s mistake — which benefited the Eagles — was down to pure human error after a score reviewer failed to look at the correct vision.

Western Bulldog Marcus Bontempelli touched Oscar Allen’s shot at goal but the official video review instead focused on the ball crossing the goal line.

The league conceded the reviewer “did not follow the procedure to review vision for a potential touch off the boot”.

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Merrett said he sensed fans were frustrated by the number of delays during games to review scores.

“I think the fans want the game to continue to go,” he said on Channel 9.

“That 60-second or 90-second gap in the game I think is frustrating, mostly for fans.

“You hear the boos whether the decision is right or wrong. I think we can get the game going quicker and quicker, it’s better for everyone involved.”

The Herald Sun understands a NRL-style bunker is one consideration as the league actively tries to improve a system which is eroding the integrity of the league’s results.

The league would not comment last night but is working towards improving or overhauling a system that could cost a team a Grand Final given high frequency of errors.

Collingwood president Eddie McGuire has ruled out an appeal over the Chris Mayne touched goal, but suggested a bunker might be in the league’s thinking.

McGuire told the Herald Sun it was worth spitballing whether balls which flicked a finger 40m out and went through for a goal were still judged to be goals.

It is understood a six-week trial using two concurrent games at different venues worked seamlessly in 2016, one of two trials that year.

But with only two errors that year and as many as 30 successful overhauls, the cost of the bunker was seen as prohibitive.

If the league did invest fitting out an official bunker within AFL House it could sponsor it and also save on travel costs for officials.

The upside of a bunker is having two crews who work throughout each round of nine matches, learning expertise with the technology and consistency in its application.

Errors since last May have included Josh Jenkins’ Showdown goal which clipped the post, and Jack Higgins’ wrongly overruled goal against Tom Hickey last year.

The AFL could introduce a score review bunker, similar to that used by the NRL. Picture: NRL Photos.

In Round 5 this year Brody Mihocek’s first-quarter goal touched the goal padding but wasn’t reviewed, while Josh Thomas’ last-term goal was touched by Oscar McInerney but cleared for a goal.

Many of the score review errors have been simple human error — pressing the wrong button after an appeal, failing to interpret the technology, or reviewing the wrong piece of vision.

In both Mayne’s touched goal from Michael Walters’ boot and Bontempelli’s touched goal from Oscar Allen on Sunday night, the proper vision was not reviewed.

AFL football operations boss Steve Hocking has grown increasingly frustrated with the errors that come from not only technology but human error.