AFL Grand Final 2016: Western Bulldogs heavily favoured in free kick count

UPDATE: SYDNEY coach John Longmire was measured in his response to questions about the umpiring in Saturday’s Grand Final after a lopsided free kick count clearly favoured the Bulldogs.

Zak Jones gives away a free kick to Marcus Bontempelli. Picture: Michael Klein

SYDNEY Swans coach John Longmire was measured in his response to questions about the umpiring in Saturday’s Grand Final after a lopsided free kick count clearly favoured the Bulldogs.

The most obvious miss was a an incident involving Dan Hannebery and Easton Wood, when the Bulldog skid in and took out the star Swan midfielder’s legs.

The league brought in the contact below the knees rule to avoid serious injuries — like that of Gary Rohan’s horrific broken leg — and increase player safety.

Easton Wood took out Dan Hannebery’s legs but no free kick was paid. Picture: Tim Carrafa

Hannebery suffered what is expected to be confirmed as a medial ligament injury in his knee as a result of the incident and despite briefly returning to the field, failed to play out the game.

“It was a pretty big hit to his legs, so unfortunately I think he might have done his medial,” Longmire said.

When asked whether he thought it should have been a free kick, the coach was measured.

“I don’t know. Do you guys think it should have been or not?

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“The Doggies were good. In the end, all we can ask for is they (free kicks) get paid both ways, and I’d have to sit back and look in the cool light of day to comment on that.”

AFL legend Leigh Matthews condemned the decision not to pay a free kick to Hannebery.

“That was what the rule was introduced for. So the player can’t slide in,” he told Channel 7. “Low and take out other players legs. He did his knee and didn’t get a free kick for it.

“They weren’t blowing the whistle much yesterday. At three-quarter time it was 15 free kicks to the Bulldogs and five to the Swans.

Dan Hannebery suffered a knee injury and despite briefly returning to the field, was unable to finish the game. Picture: Phil Hillyard

“But when there’s that many bodies competing for the footy, the umpires certainly only paid the obvious and I guess the Bulldogs were fortunate enough to get a few iffy frees, I thought.”

The men in yellow smashed the Swans 20-8 in free kicks and missed a number of possible 50m penalties including a critical one which should have been paid to Kieren Jack.

Sydney went the entire second and third quarters without the umpires blowing their whistles in their favour.

They were behind in the free-kick tally from the get go when they went behind a massive 9-3 in the first quarter and it didn’t improve after the break when the numbers stretched out to 12-4 by halftime.

A series of high contact free kicks to Toby McLean also stood out, but the worst offence was when the umpires waved play-on after Wood crashed into Hannebery’s legs early in the final term.

What ever happened to the sliding rule.... #AFLGF

— David Zaharakis (@DavidZaharakis) October 1, 2016

Taking out the legs no longer a free kick...

— Brad Crouch (@brad_crouch) October 1, 2016

The decision to ignore a clear contact below the knees free kick drew condemnation on social media, and extra pain for the Swans when key playmaker Hannebery limped off the field.

He returned but was clearly hampered in the final term.

The 50m penalty count was also 2-0 in the Bulldogs favour at the long break but, like all official calls, it’s the things that aren’t paid which can have the biggest effect.

A first-quarter 50m penalty not paid to Jack stood out. He was collected by Wood after he had taken a courageous mark 40m from goal. Jack clearly held the mark before Wood hit him with a hip and shoulder bump. The goal would have been automatic had the penalty been paid, his kick ended up going wide.

John Longmire after the loss. Picture: Phil Hillyard

There were also a host of frees not paid during the third term. Jack was pushed in the back by Marcus Bontempelli right in front of goal and tackled high by Josh Dunkley again without a whistle.

By the end of the third term the free kick count ballooned out to 15-4 and the final count ending up 20-8.

The five games the Bulldogs played against non-Victorian teams in Melbourne this year resulted in lopsided free kick counts on every count.

They won 58 per cent of frees against Fremantle, 67 against Brisbane, 70 against Adelaide, 51 against West Coast and 61 when they played the Gold Coast Suns all at Etihad Stadium. The final total in the five regular season games against interstate teams was 111-70.

In a game where the kicks are so hard to come by, the free ones count.

Originally published as AFL Grand Final 2016: Western Bulldogs heavily favoured in free kick count