Adelaide goal review controversy: AFL has no plans to reassess the result despite apparent error

Adelaide has been dumped from the finals race after a controversial non-goal review against Sydney. What can Crows fans expect to happen next?

The Crows’ season came to an end in controversial circumstances. Picture: Getty Images

The AFL has no plans to reassess the result of Adelaide’s agonising defeat against Sydney, despite the apparent goal review error that has dumped them from September calculations.

Ben Keays’ shot at goal from deep in the Adelaide Oval pocket was immediately called a behind by the goal umpire, with just over a minute on the clock.

Remarkably, it was not sent to the video review system.

The decision effectively dumped Adelaide from the finals and also means St Kilda will need to beat Brisbane next week or rely on other results to qualify for September in Ross Lyon’s first year back at the club.

Video replays showed there was a clear gap between the goal post and the ball as it crossed over the line, which could have been proved had the goal umpire sent the decision to the referral system.

But the Herald Sun understands after high level talks between AFL officials late on Saturday night there is no prospect of the decision – and the result – being overturned.

The goal umpiring decision came with just over 70 seconds left on the clock which meant multiple results could still have occurred in the remaining time after Sydney brought the ball back into play.

The AFL has been under intense pressure to revamp and modernise its goal review system but in this case the decision by the goal umpire not to refer the decision meant the league’s ARC system based at the Docklands was not able to reassess the shot.

Ben Keays and Matthew Nicks talk about the decision after the game. Picture: Getty Images

It’s the second straight week of controversy after Melbourne’s Christian Petracca’s late shot at goal saw the ARC system ruling that there was insufficient evidence to overturn the goal umpire’s decision that Carlton’s Caleb Marchbank had touched the ball.

The AFL umpiring department confirmed earlier this season that there was a missed free kick missed late in Collingwood’s victory over Adelaide that could have seen Jordan Dawson receiving a shot at goal to win the game in the dying seconds.

The league is assessing microchip technology that could resolve some of the issues relating to goal line technology, but is not yet ready to trial the cutting-edge system, which is used in the Australian Rugby Union.

If Keays’ shot had been ruled a goal, St Kilda would have qualified for finals, and Geelong’s season also would still be hanging by a thread.

Former AFL great Dermott Brereton insisted the Keays shot should have been ruled a goal, saying it was “kids’ stuff” in a billion-dollar industry that it was not reviewed.

“The league has to say they got it wrong, it has cost a team a berth in the finals,” Brereton said on Fox Footy.