Izak Rankine free kick ignites footy world in Crows’ loss to Collingwood

With 20 seconds remaining in a four-point game, the umpire blew the whistle in a moment that has ignited the footy world.

Izak Rankine went from hero to villain in roughly 15 steps at the MCG, but most observers were left seething over a late free kick against the Adelaide star.

Rankine had 30 possessions, eight clearances and kicked a ridiculous goal late in the match against Collingwood that put the Crows in front, putting his finger to his mouth in a brazen celebration.

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But with 22 seconds remaining and Adelaide trailing by four points, Rankine took off down the left wing, had a bounce and kept running before kicking the ball inside 50m.

After some confusion, it then emerged Rankine had been whistled for running too far as the Pies held on for a 12.6 (78) to 11.8 (74) win.

It was an extremely marginal call and the type of play that is overlooked countless times in a footy match, so the decision to blow the whistle fired up commentators and footy fans alike.

After Rankine’s kick, the ball pinged around and it seemed likely there would have been a ball up with 16 seconds still left in the Adelaide forward 50m.

But we’ll never know the outcome as the free kick allowed Collingwood to seal the four points.

Izak Rankine quietens the crowd and then questions the umpire. Photos: Getty Images/Fox Sports

Instead, it was Jordan de Goey’s set shot goal with two minutes left to put Collingwood back in front that proved the decisive moment.

To add injury to the umpire's insult, Rankine appeared to injure his left hamstring on the play, limping to the dressing room with his face buried in his jumper.

“Where’s the sense of occasion from the umpire?” Leigh Montagna said on Fox Footy as the whistle blew.

“Oh no,” Jack Riewoldt added.

Riewoldt did his best to count the steps and came up with 14, with the AFL rule stating a player must bounce the ball at least once every 15 metres.

“Fourteen is play on!” Lyon yelled. “The sideline story here is the hamstring injury potentially to Rankine.

“(The free kick was) on the edges. It’s on the edges.

“To try to win the game, it might cost Izak Rankine a month of footy.

Jordan De Goey (right) proved the matchwinner. Photo: Michael Klein

“But you do that because you play the moment in front of you, it needed someone to drag the ball from halfback forward and he was the one that carried it.

“The irony is, in the process of trying to win it, he may, we don’t know, but it looks bad.”

The reaction on social media to the free kick being paid was strong.

AFL journalist Michael Whiting wrote on X: “If Rankine ran too far, gee there’s a lot missed every weekend.”

Fellow footy scribe Peter Ryan wrote: “Rankine just brilliant. Too far was the wrong call from the ump. Hope no hammie.”

The comments were even stronger from footy fans.

“Running too far, what a joke,” was one comment.

“Not content to let a great game reach its natural conclusion, the ump pings Rankine for running too far,” wrote another.

“You don’t call that with the game on the line,” wrote a third.

“Too far? LOL OK,” was another simple response.

Rankine looked distraught in the rooms after his apparent injury. Photo: Fox Sports

“Run too far free. Talk about no match awareness. Ruined another game,” suggested another.

One user also went further, tweeting: “The umpire who penalised Rankine for running too far needs to be fired today.”

“14 steps … they travel further in the NBA,” quipped another.

A number of fans also felt the umpires may have missed Rankine bouncing the ball as he took off, although he did run a solid length of the ground after the bounce before finally kicking the ball.

It was another absolute thriller between these two teams, with five of the last six games between the Crows and Pies now decided by less than a goal, including the last four straight.

As always, there were some that felt the umpire had made the correct call and even praised their bravery to blow the whistle in that scenario.

“Last free kick against Rankine was a correct one,” wrote an X account titled Has the umpire made A Bad decision?

“Definitely ran too far after his bounce which was on the centre wing. Great umpiring to have the guts (to make the call) in the big moment.”

Another felt there was no doubt Rankine had run too far.

“Rankine run that far he’s already in Adelaide,” they joked.