AFL's standout goal could be hell or high watermark for Crows
Football
Crows fans have more reason than most to vote for the AFL’s Goal Of The Year, given one of the three contenders would see livewire Eddie Betts snare an unprecedented hat-trick while another is a moment Adelaide supporters would rather forget.
Swans star Lance Franklin’s stunner last month is in the running for goal of the year – despite the umpires’ department subsequently conceding he probably ran too far without bouncing the ball.
His running shot in the narrow round-22 win over Adelaide is among the three finalists for this season’s award.
The Sydney star burned off Crows defender Daniel Talia down the Adelaide Oval wing and then launched a bomb from just inside 50m.
It was reminiscent of his 2010 goal of the year at the MCG for Hawthorn against Essendon – a freakish performance that will have the Bombers and Cale Hooker nervous ahead of Saturday’s elimination final.
But a few days after the Adelaide Oval effort, umpires boss Hayden Kennedy said the four-time Coleman Medallist may have run too far before taking his kick.
“I think if you go slo-mo, I think he’s probably closer to the 20m than (the allowed) 15,” Kennedy said.
“That’s a fact, but live, I think it would be really hard for the umpire to tell if he’s run over the 15… it still could be (goal of the year), because we didn’t pay a free kick.”
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Adelaide small forward Eddie Betts has won the last two goals of the year and he is a contender again after his masterful spoil, gather and snap in round nine against Brisbane.
But Richmond goalsneak Daniel Rioli is also among the favourites for his snap from the boundary in round three against West Coast.
A Rioli win might be considered a compromise result for Adelaide fans, who won’t want Buddy’s brilliance replayed as regularly as his 2010 equivalent was.
The winning goal, along with the Mark Of the Year, is decided by a public vote and announced at the AFL’s Brownlow Medal presentation later this month.
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