AFL’s score review system reaches farcical heights at the MCG on Sunday

The AFL’s controversial score review system found itself in hot water on Sunday with fans left seeing red over it’s constant use.

The controversial score review system was thrust back into the limelight. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

The AFL’s much-maligned score review system reached comical levels on Sunday at the MCG as Melbourne superstar Clayton Oliver continued to put a tumultuous summer behind him and lead the Demons to a thumping 45-point win over the Western Bulldogs.

The erosion of the goal umpires’ confidence to make a decision was as overt as ever in the first half with no fewer than five ridiculous score reviews requested.

In the opening quarter, Jack Billings’ dribbler from the pocket was clearly touched by Buku Khamis on the goal line, Jake Lever blatantly got a hand on Cody Weightman’s shot for goal in the goalsquare and another Weightman set shot was marked by Max Gawn on the behind line.

But despite being in the perfect position, the goal umpire asked for a score review each time to have the bleeding obvious confirmed, causing unnecessary delays. On the quarter-time siren Bayley Fritsch’s set shot went the wrong side of the behind post, yet despite the boundary umpire and goal umpire both being right on the spot, they still sent the decision upstairs.

The coup de grace came late in the second term when Ryley Sanders’ set shot from 45m out didn’t cross the behind line, was punched back in play and should’ve been called play on, but because the goal umpire asked for yet another score review, play had to be stopped for the review.

Send it upstairs … again. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

After it was confirmed a behind wasn’t scored, the field umpire was forced to ball it up and it disadvantaged the Bulldogs because the ball was bouncing loose in a dangerous position and denied them a potential goalscoring opportunity.

Fifteen years ago, each decision would’ve been made without hesitation or question.

But the Demons wouldn’t have been too concerned because Oliver backed up his impressive first-up showing against Sydney last week with another dominant performance that saw him rack up 35 disposals (10 contested), six clearances and seven inside 50s.

Melbourne’s much-publicised forward issues were non-existent as they registered their biggest score in eight games in the impressive 16.13 (109) to 9.10 (64) win.

The Demons looked much more fluent and structured in their attacking zone than they had for some time with Kyle Chandler (three goals), Jacob van Rooyen (three), Ben Brown (two), Alex Neal-Bullen (two) and Kysaiah Pickett (two) all working beautifully together.

Pickett was on fire at the G. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

But thanks largely to the Bulldogs’ poor defending, Melbourne took 129 uncontested marks, a whopping 49 above last year’s AFL average (80), which allowed them to creep forward under minimal resistance on numerous occasions.

The Demons made their first move in a 23-minute period either side of quarter-time when they booted six out of seven goals, including five in a row, to lead by 19 points early in the second term.

And after the match became an arm wrestle, Melbourne emphatically closed the door shut in the final period with another six goals to two.

After a rough start to the season last week, Gawn returned to his influential best with 26 touches (12 contested), 35 hit-outs and eight clearances, Christian Petracca also starred with 29 possessions (13 contested), 10 marks and a goal and Steven May destroyed Aaron Naughton (one goal) to finish up on 26 touches and 13 marks.