St Kilda pinged for 6-6-6 warning as unbeaten run comes to an end against Fremantle

St Kilda coach Alan Richardson has denied claims his club tried to exploit the 6-6-6 starting position warning system after the Saints were pinged in the dying moments of their five-point loss to Fremantle.

Jarryn Geary and the Saints came up short against Fremantle. Picture: Getty Images

St Kilda coach Alan Richardson insists he didn’t order his team to flout the AFL’s 6-6-6 rule in the dying seconds of their five-point loss to Fremantle on Sunday.

The Saints booted a late goal to close to within five points, but there was just eight seconds remaining on the clock for St Kilda to snatch the winner. Under the AFL’s new starting positions rule, teams can’t have more than six players in the forward line.

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But a seventh St Kilda player drifted forward just before the umpire went to do the final ball-up.

The umpires noticed the seventh player, and ordered him into his correct position before throwing up the ball.

Under the new rule, teams are given a warning before a free kick is paid, meaning the Saints had nothing to lose given they hadn’t received a warning earlier in the game.

A deliberate starting positions warning conceded by St Kilda? It forced the umpire to throw it up, knowing an errant bounce would’ve wiped precious seconds off the clock. Smart ... albeit unsuccessful. A loophole. #AFLFreoSaints

— Sam Landsberger 🗯 (@SamLandsberger) April 7, 2019

According to Herald Sun football reporter Sam Landsberger, the official warning forced the umpires to throw the ball up, rather than bounce it, giving the Saints more time to try and win a quick clearance and get one last shot at goal.

But Richardson said having seven players in the forward line was nothing more than an honest mistake.

“There was a period before that where Freo put a player back to try and protect their lead and our message to one of the defenders was to go down and play as a forward,” Richardson said.

“He just had a bit of a brain fade and stayed there really. He just missed the fact that you’ve got to reset at a centre bounce.”

Jarryn Geary and the Saints came up short against Fremantle. Picture: Getty Images

When asked whether players could talk amongst themselves to try to flout the rule, Richardson replied: “You won’t get away with it.

“There’s an umpire and that’s his job is to look and make sure there’s six of us and six of the opposition at both ends.

“You’ll never get away with it. That was just a blue by us.”

The tactic proved unsuccessful though, with the Dockers winning the clearance to seal victory.

Collingwood skipper Scott Pendlebury, earlier this week, raised the possibility of the rule being exploited last week after Richmond got away with having an extra defender against the Magpies.

“You get one warning, which I think is going to create chaos, because if you get one warning you may as well burn one warning a game,” Pendlebury said.

“I wonder now whether (clubs will exploit it), because clubs are all over this sort of stuff.”

The 11.5 (71) to 9.12 (66) loss was St Kilda’s first loss of the season.

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genuine mistake by Saints having a seventh forward at final bounce, or a tactic knowing they had the warning to come? @SP_10 gave it food for thought on his poddy

— Mark Robinson (@Robbo_heraldsun) April 7, 2019

Fremantle looked set for an easy victory after opening up a 31-point lead early in the second quarter.

But the Saints clawed their way back into the contest, and scored two late goals to Jade Gresham and Billings to close within five points with eight seconds left on the clock.

Dockers skipper Nat Fyfe’s day ended midway through the third quarter when he clashed heads with St Kilda’s Josh Battle as they contested a loose ball.

Lyon said Fyfe’s injury might have inspired his teammates.

“I was a Carlton supporter. I remember Stan Magro knocked out Alex Jesaulenko,” Lyon said.

“At three-quarter time I think they were six down and they did it for Jezza. You remember those things as a kid.

“So hopefully the young Dockers supporters remember the time when Nat got knocked out and the team stood up for him.”

Fremantle forward Jesse Hogan could come under scrutiny for a head-high bump on Nathan Brown in the second quarter.

The pair were running side by side chasing a loose ball when Hogan delivered a hip-and-shoulder that caught Brown a tad high.

But the fact Brown was able to return to the field and there wasn’t any malice in the bump should mean Hogan is cleared.

Michael Walters starred for Fremantle with 27 disposals, eight clearances and two goals, while Luke Ryan (32 disposals) was a rock in defence.

Jack Billings notched 32 touches and two goals for the Saints, with Jade Gresham (20 disposals, two goals)also important.

“They were just way too good for us early, but to the boys’ credit they fought hard and got back into the contest,” Richardson said.

- with AAP

FREMANTLE 3.2 6.2 9.2 11.5 (71)

ST KILDA 1.1 5.3 7.8 9.12 (66)

GOALS

Fremantle: Matera 3, Taberner 2, Walters 2, Hill, McCarthy, Hughes, Lobb

St Kilda: Gresham 3, Membrey 2, Acres, Bruce, Billings, Lonie

BEST

Fremantle: Walters, Ryan, Langdon, Hill, Cerra, Fyfe

St Kilda: Gresham, Billings, Geary, Marshall, Newnes

INJURIES

Fremantle: Fyfe (concussion)

St Kilda: Nathan Brown (head knock)

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Margetts, Fisher, Mitchell

Official crowd: 38,227 at Perth Stadium

Originally published as St Kilda pinged for 6-6-6 warning as unbeaten run comes to an end against Fremantle