West Coast chief executive Don Pyke has called on the AFL to provide clarification on how the score review system works after a hugely-controversial call-back in their massive loss to St Kilda.
The Incident That Sparked Debate
In the second quarter of the Eagles’ eventual 101-point humbling on Sunday, Saints ruckman Rowan Marshall claimed to have hauled in a mark just before the ball had crossed the goal line, but the goal umpire paid a behind and did not call for a review. After play rolled on for nearly a minute, the AFL Review Centre determined Marshall had in fact taken the mark — despite replays suggesting he was not in full control of the ball before it had gone over the line — and told the umpires to return the ball to Marshall, who duly snapped a goal.
Pyke’s Call for Clarity
Pyke was eager to emphasise the decision did not have any bearing on the result, but said how the scenario played out made little sense. “I don’t know if I’ll seek clarification. I think the industry needs clarification, to be honest,” Pyke told SEN. “I was surprised that it came back, because you go through the scenarios — what if we’d taken it down the other end and kicked a goal? Does it (make) that goal null and void?
“How do we keep the game flowing, allow the umpires to do their job, and accept the game’s a very dynamic game, but it’s always had some controversy around umpiring decisions? “Are we trying to remove all that? Because if we are, we expose ourselves to either slowing the game down or stuff like yesterday, where everyone’s like ‘what’s going on here, we’re rewinding the clock 60 seconds’ for something that has now proven to be an error.
“What’s the statute of limitations on bringing the ball back? Because the game had gone on — I think we were just about to get a free kick down inside our 50, and all of a sudden, we’re back on the goal line.”
Coach’s Confusion
After the game, Eagles coach Andrew McQualter said he “didn’t have a clue what was going on” during the incident. “I think if they’re going to do it, it’s got to be clear cut. They’ve got to get it right. If it’s touch and go, I would think you’re not changing the game or the flow of a game to make a decision like that,” McQualter said.
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