Why didn’t Shannon Hurn kick long from the final kick-in against Gold Coast?

IF RICHMOND did this, there would be a Royal Commission. With time left to win the game, West Coast captain Shannon Hurn made one of the most bizarre decisions of the season. WATCH

West Coast player leave the field after losing to Gold Coast.

IF THIS was Richmond, there would be a Royal Commission.

We saw just two weeks ago how dangerous a team can be when it trails by less than a goal and has possession of the ball from a behind.

It took just seconds for the GWS Giants to turn an overturned goal by Richmond’s Shai Bolton into a matchwinning major by Jeremy Cameron at the other end.

WATCH THE BIZARRE FINISH IN THE VIDEO PLAYER ABOVE

It all started with a booming kick-in from Nathan Wilson that almost made the centre circle, with a fist from Phil Davis sending the ball over the back of the pack and eventually into Cameron’s arms.

Shannon Hurn launches into a big roost at Metricon Stadium — exactly what he didn’t do in the final minute.

Shannon Hurn leaves the field after Gold Coast’s win.

After that remarkable Round 9 finish, the Tigers came under fire for failing to set up for the obvious long kick by Wilson.

“I just can’t believe my eyes,” Swans premiership player Tadhg Kennelly declared as he called the game for SEN. “It’s poor leadership and it’s poor coaching from the Richmond Football Club.”

Shannon Hurn obviously wasn’t watching.

One of the longest kicks in the AFL had the footy with 46 seconds left after a Peter Wright behind made the margin two points at Metricon Stadium yesterday.

Behind-the-goals footage reveals a bizarre lack of urgency from all Eagles players with no move to create an option down the middle. And Hurn didn’t seem particularly interested in kicking there anyway, eventually going short to Sam Mitchell who passed short again to Lewis Jetta.

Sixteen seconds had been wasted before Jetta kicked long down the line, where Tom Lynch marked to effectively end the contest.

Did the Eagles know how much time was left? Coach Adam Simpson isn’t sure.

“You’ve got to question whether the boys knew there was that much time on the clock. We were definitely screaming it from the bench. We need to look at that,” he said after the game.

“I would have thought the damage was done before the last minute of the game, but they’re the kind of moments you need to be really predictable and we weren’t.”

HOW THE FINAL MINUTE UNFOLDED:

0:55 left: Peter Wright takes a long set shot after marking a Gary Ablett pass. His kick sails through for a behind, giving the Suns a 79-77 lead.

0:46 left: Eagles captain Shannon Hurn takes the kick-in.

0:45 left: Hurn chips a 20m pass to Sam Mitchell in the left back pocket.

0:38 left: Mitchell looks for an option then plays on, running left then passing laterally to Lewis Jetta, who takes an uncontested mark just outside the 50m line a metre in from the boundary.

0:29 left: Jetta kicks long to the wing.

0:25 left: Tom Lynch marks on the wing and Gold Coast winds down the clock to inflict the Eagles’ third straight loss.

Why did Hurn not go down the middle? Why did Sam Mitchell sit there for seconds & not play on? Allowed Lynch to get back and mark

— Jon Ralph (@RalphyHeraldSun) June 3, 2017

The most staggering thing of the round

— Glenn Luff (@LuffG0305) June 3, 2017

Richmondesque

— jb03 (@jimbowie03) June 3, 2017

45sec left, Eagles have ball from kick-in, go short twice inside D50. Haven't they been watching Tigers?#AFLSunsEagles

— Al Paton (@al_superfooty) June 3, 2017

Eagles chip, chip from last kick in. Are they serious?

— Mark Stevens (@Stevo7AFL) June 3, 2017

Shannon Hurn can kick the thing 65m in his sleep from a kick out, and instead of long up the middle he dinks it 15m ... Wow. #aflsunseagles

— AnimatedJigsaw (@chris8875) June 3, 2017