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Free kick controversies “a Geelong problem, not an umpiring problem”

Geelong coach Chris Scott won’t be following his brother, North Melbourne mentor Brad, in risking a steep fine for criticising the AFL’s umpiring, describing a difference of opinion over some key decisions in the dying stages of Saturday’s shock loss to St Kilda as “a Geelong problem, not an umpiring problem”.

Jun 28, 2016, updated Jun 28, 2016
Cats player make their way from the ground after the loss. Photo: Julian Smith, AAP.

Cats player make their way from the ground after the loss. Photo: Julian Smith, AAP.

Brad and North shared in an $80,000 whack last week after the Kangaroos coach wrongly accused umpires of bias in his side’s loss to Hawthorn, so some game-defining calls in the Cats’ three point loss were always going to attract added controversy.

Most notably when key forward Tom Hawkins went to ground deep inside Geelong’s attacking 50 after tangling with Saints defender Dylan Roberton, with less than two minutes to play.

Hawkins appeared to argue the free kick was there and skipper Joel Selwood engaged in an animated conversation with the umpires after the final siren.

But umpires coach Hayden Kennedy yesterday gave the decision the thumbs up.

“Sometimes it’s a difference of opinion … I guess I respectfully disagree, that’s okay,” Scott said diplomatically on AFL360 last night.

“What we’re working on is a better understanding of how the game is being interpreted in certain incidents, because clearly we haven’t been good enough in some areas.

“It’s a Geelong problem, not an umpiring problem.”

Kennedy earlier told the AFL website that “what the umpire has to make sure is that he can see that one person has caused the trip.”

“As you see the players head out to the ball I don’t think we can tell by the vision – and also the umpire’s position on the day – that one person is responsible … I think it was just a clash of bodies,” he said.

“I think what we see is that Tom’s back foot hits Dylan’s knee, which causes both players to fall over… so a really difficult decision obviously for the umpire, in a particularly difficult time of the game, but I’m comfortable in that decision being made.”

Kennedy also gave his seal of approval to a contentious holding-the-ball free kick paid against Geelong’s Cameron Guthrie in the final term at Etihad Stadium.

But Geelong had problems of their own making to contend with.

Star midfielder Patrick Dangerfield and potential game-breaker Steven Motlop were left stranded on the interchange bench as the frantic final minutes of the enthralling encounter played out.

Dangerfield said the delay couldn’t be helped.

“When Steven and I came to the bench it was the right time to come off. I think there were about seven or eight minutes to go,” Dangerfield told the Nine Network.

“But the game is played on an oval and at the time it was being played on the other side of the ground for about three minutes.

“So it’s just one of those things that happens during a game. With the way rotations are … you’re not helping your team if you’re out there and you can’t run.”

But Scott revealed Geelong’s coaches were furious and foul-mouthed as their marquee import sat on the interchange bench while the game slipped away.

“Don’t overestimate the amount of control we have in the coaches’ box,” Scott lamented.

“It would be interesting to hear the audio in the box at that time… it’s not for this timeslot and there was a level of frustration.

“It would be incorrect to say everyone was sitting back, comfortable in the fact that Paddy Dangerfield was sitting on the bench.”

If there were Brownlow Medal votes for the language in the coaches’ box at the time, Scott said he undoubtedly would have scored three. But he added even mild-mannered football manager Steve Hocking was animated.

“He’s a calm operator – but he wasn’t at his calmest,” Scott said.

The Cats lost top spot because of the loss and it was the third time this season that they have lost to a team outside the top eight.

Scott said there is clearly a problem and they are trying to solve it.

“It would be folly for us just to say `that’s not a factor at all’ because the evidence is starting to stack up … you can’t defend the indefensible. We need to acknowledge that we do have a problem in that area.”

Scott added the loss again showed that while Hawthorn can play badly and still win, Geelong do not have that luxury.

“Less than our best is not good enough, just a statement of fact,” he said.

-AAP

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