‘Absolute stinker’: Commentators astonished by ‘red hot call’ as North finally snap losing streak

A controversial umpiring call decided the game for the second time on Saturday, as North Melbourne finally broke their dreaded losing streak.

Elliot Yeo copped a seriously harsh holding the ball free kick.

Another contentious late umpiring call has helped North Melbourne defeated West Coast 11.8 (74) to 8.16 (64) and break their 11-game losing streak.

It was a dour affair in Perth before the teams kicked a combined nine goals in the final quarter as West Coast reeled in a 33-point deficit to take the lead.

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But it could have been another West Coast home win if not for a controversial holding the ball decision with less than three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.

West Coast’s Elliot Yeo dispossessed North’s George Wardlaw before immediately getting tackled by Jy Simpkin.

Yeo barely had any chance to get rid of the ball, but the umpire deemed he had dragged the ball in and under the tight new holding the ball interpretation, awarded Simpkin the free kick.

Fox Footy’s Adam Papalia said: “It’s … holding the ball! Free kick to North Melbourne directly in front of goals. Adam Simpson can’t believe it.”

Watch the holding the ball free kick in the video player above

Elliot Yeo copped a seriously harsh holding the ball free kick.

“Is it a free kick?” commentator Will Schofield asked.

“Not in my book,” Gerard Healy replied.

“Something would appear wrong to me if that is a free kick.

“(Yeo) busted his backside to get that from the opposition player – and it’s fallen that way.

“He’s basically got up on his knees and he’s been pinged with no prior opportunity.

“That is going to have a fair bit of airplay over the next 48 hours.”

Simpkin went back and kicked the go-ahead goal, before Paul Curtis put the result beyond doubt with another major.

Jy Simpkin of the Kangaroos leads his team to the rooms after the win. (Photo by Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

While footy fans were pleased to see North break their drought, the holding the ball decision on Yeo was seen as exceptionally harsh.

“Was that holding the ball against Yeo,” Matthew Richardson wrote on X along with several crying laughing emojis.

News Corp’s Tim Michell said: “That holding the ball against Yeo is an absolute stinker.”

Footy writer Ronny Lerner said: “Geez that was a red hot call on Yeo!”

Journalist and broadcaster Daniel Garb posted: “Interesting call late to say the least. But if you leave your run too late, you open yourself up to decisions like that. Harsh on Yeo who was massive in the last. Enjoy it, North.”

Eagles coach Adam Simpson acknowledged the reasons why the AFL has made a tweak to the holding the ball interpretation, but said it was difficult to adjust to on the fly.

“It’s hard to ask after what happened tonight,” he said after the loss.

“I think it will settle. Players adjust, but on the fly, it is difficult.

“We can’t coach differently, so I don’t know what to say to Elliot, ‘d\Don’t win the ball?’

“I get why we made the tweak, but it seems like it will take some time to get it right.

“Players will work it out, but we have to work it out on the fly.

“They are pretty smart and normally work their way around it and it won’t be a talking point.

“At the moment, it’s a talking point because the game looks different on occasions.”

One fan wrote: “Umpiring has decided some premiership points today.”

The victory was the first taste of AFL success for George Wardlaw, Jackson Archer, Toby Pink and Wil Dawson.

It’s been a while between team songs for North. (Photo by Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

North Melbourne dominated the midfield battle, with the Eagles noticeably missing suspended young gun Harley Reid around the contest.

It was the Kangaroos’ first win since their infamous victory over Gold Coast last year, which saw them finish above West Coast on the ladder and effectively handed the Eagles the right to pick Reid at No. 1 in the draft.

It came hours after a controversial downfield free kick gifted Hawthorn the matchwinning goal against GWS in Launceston on Saturday afternoon.

Giants midfielder Tom Green bumped James Sicily just after he kicked the ball out on the full in the forward pocket. The umpires deemed it enough to let Luke Breust take a shot on goal 60m away from where Green bumped Sicily.

The Hawks have now won five of their last six games and are a genuine finals chance with Richmond and West Coast their next two opponents.

With Brad Elborough, NCA Newswire

Originally published as ‘Absolute stinker’: Commentators astonished by ‘red hot call’ as North finally snap losing streak