Laura Kane is copping backlash around the AFL world after the league’s football boss attempted to explain the controversial call the dudded North Melbourne in their loss to Collingwood. AFL fans and commentators were crying foul on Sunday when Bailey Scott wasn’t awarded a 50m penalty in the dying seconds despite two Collingwood players running over the mark. Scott took a mark and appeared to play on, but the umpire’s whistle never came and Steele Sidebottom and Beau McCreery both ran towards him and over the mark. Because the umpire didn’t call play-on it should have been a 50m penalty, which would have given Scott a golden chance to kick the match-winning goal.
But the umpire swallowed the whistle and allowed play to continue, and the Kangaroos lost by a point. On Monday afternoon, Kane attempted to provide an explanation for the incident and made the staggering call that a mistake was made, but not in the umpiring decision that many people think should have happened.
According to Kane, the umpire’s action right after Scott took the mark was the critical mistake. “It was a confusing situation and I understand why people … are left wanting to understand what happened,” she stated.
“A call might be made to either ‘play on’ immediately or’stand’, indicating that the mark had been paid. Bailey took around four steps inbound and looked to continue playing after the whistle was sounded, but none of those two calls happened immediately.
“The first announcement of ‘play on’ should have been the right one; this has confused the players nearby, the Collingwood players, into thinking there was a wait. I suppose the mistake was in the communication.”
Kane stated that there would have been a 50-meter penalty if the umpire had immediately ruled “stand” and the two Collingwood players had encroached on Scott. On the AFL website, she stated, “The first error, if you will, is that ‘play-on’ wasn’t called.” “‘What’s next didn’t come quick enough … every objective marker of ‘play on’ was there.”
Commentators on the AFL tear apart Laura Kane’s justification.
However, many people were shocked by Kane’s denial that the Kangaroos ought to have received a 50 million dollar fine. “That is an instantly recognisable and automatic 50m penalty, every single time it happens,” Gerard Whateley said on AFL 360.
Mark Robinson, the co-host, expressed his ire by adding, “Everyone knows that, except Laura Kane and the AFL.” It may sound disrespectful, and I really don’t want it to sound that way, but how can Laura release that answer and expect the football community to accept it as part of the conversation?
The football public is being treated like absolute children, and that is codswallop. We were aware of the regulations at the time, so it is ridiculous to come out 24 hours later and tell the millions of football fans in this nation, “No, there’s a bit of confusion, but we’re sort of comfortable with it.” No point in the game’s past or present may players presume that another player has participated. That justification is insufficient.