A mid-season rule change has backfired on the AFL after the review centre (ARC) was unable to intervene on a bizarre set of circumstances in the fourth quarter of Port Adelaide’s huge Showdown win over the Crows on Saturday night.
Adelaide forward Riley Thilthorpe’s set shot clearly crossed the line for a behind before bouncing back into play, with Ben Keays receiving a free kick and converting for a goal.
While a nearby boundary umpire recognised the ball had bounced over the line and indicated as such, the goal umpire did not and never called for a review — and the ARC was prohibited from taking action because of changes made after a similar situation with a behind earlier this season.
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The AFL previously allowed for the ARC to stop play in the wake of a controversial non-goal — coincidentally involving Keays — in a narrow Adelaide loss to Sydney in 2023.
But a controversial late intervention during St Kilda’s clash with West Coast in April this year prompted a change to block the ARC from stopping play to intervene on a score.
Replays on Saturday night confirmed the whole of the ball had crossed the line after Thilthorpe’s shot, with boos raining down from Port fans furious that the non-call allowed Adelaide to kick a goal.
“They can’t go back with the ARC and pay the point, can they, or not?” Mark Ricciuto said on Fox Sports.
“What we just saw there was the ball hitting the ground behind the line, which means it’s a score, and then the free kick to Keays was after that. Are they allowed to use the ARC to go back?”
Former Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley bluntly took a shot at the league: “The AFL is allowed to do whatever they like.”
Ricciuto replied: “But that should technically be a point. It hit the ground behind the line.”
The drama arrived just a day after the AFL was forced to concede umpires robbed Brisbane’s Logan Morris of a goal because of another set of controversial rules.
In Adelaide on Saturday night the ‘footy gods’, as called by Dwayne Russell, quickly corrected the situation as Port Adelaide struck back through Mitch Georgiades to effectively end the match as a contest.
The Power conceded two late goals but couldn’t be caught as they held on for a 13.19 (97) to 11.5 (71) win over the Crows.
Acting captain Zak Butters dominated in what could be his last Showdown, recording a mammoth 13 clearances from 37 disposals while Jason Horne-Francis had 29 disposals, one goal and 10 clearances of his own.
Georgiades and Corey Durdin led the way with three goals as Port recorded just their fifth win over the season and dented their great rivals’ hopes of avoiding wildcard round.
Adelaide blew their chance to rise to fourth on the ladder and remain sixth as one of five teams with a 9-6 record.
Crows forward Darcy Fogarty booted five goals in a lone attacking hand.
His captain Jordan Dawson was subdued despite collecting 25 disposals, and key teammates Izak Rankine (12 touches) and Josh Rachele (nine possessions, one goal) failed to fire.
Adelaide ace Rankine limped off late in the first quarter after his right leg was trapped in a Butters tackle.
Rankine’s absence came as Port won the clearances 16-4 in the opening term but failed to cash in on the scoreboard.
The Power sprayed three set shots at goal and the Crows, with Rachele bouncing through a 40-metre stunner from near a boundary line in a rare Adelaide highlight, led by four points at quarter-time, 4.2 to 3.4.
Rankine returned to action with his right knee strapped in the second term as the Power seized momentum with five goals to two for the quarter.
Port’s small forwards Berry and Durdin slotted two goals each in the quarter as their side skipped 16 points clear at halftime, 8.6 to 6.2.
The Power streeted 36 points clear with the initial three goals of the third term in front of a raucous crowd of 50,087 spectators at Port’s nominal home game.
Port held a decisive 33-point advantage at three-quarter time, before closing out victory to narrow the overall win-loss ledger to 29-31 in Adelaide’s favour.
— with AAP
