AFL greats have cheekily suggested Collingwood put themselves in a position to give up a controversial late free kick against Fremantle by annoying one of the umpires.
The Magpies’ shock collapse to draw with the Dockers came after a free kick for time-wasting which handed the home side a goal in the final minutes.
Lachie Sullivan was pinged for handing the ball to teammate Nick Daicos, not umpire Matthew Nicholls, in what the AFL confirmed was a breach of the time-wasting rules.
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But as the team from On the Couch spotlighted, this wasn’t the Magpies’ first rodeo in trying to bleed the clock by not helping Nicholls.
Just three minutes earlier Steele Sidebottom left the ball on the ground rather than gave it right back to Nicholls, with the umpire heard saying “Steele! Fine.”
“Doesn’t give the ball back to the umpire, gives it to Daicos who gives it straight to Nicholls, and the big Hodor gets the free kick. Very controversial,” Brisbane champion Jonathan Brown said on Fox Footy.
“Three minutes earlier Steele Sidebottom, have a look at Matty Nicholls! Look at the reaction – not happy!”
Melbourne great Garry Lyon responded: “So you think he’s going, I’m gonna get you!”
Brown continued: “He clearly said Steele. He said Steele, give it back.
Collingwood legend Nathan Buckley explained: “He’s a half-back flanker, he’s trying to get back to his position!”
But Brown said: “That’s exactly right, so the umpire, he had the S-I-Ts and subconsciously, bang. Three minutes later, you blow the whistle.”
It is worth noting the AFL ticked off the Nicholls decision, meaning even if he had been bothered by Sidebottom’s legal but not helpful act, it didn’t turn a non-free kick into a free kick.
Lyon still quipped in response: “You know what’s gonna happen this weekend – every single time the player’s gonna throw it at the umpire.”
For Buckley, the concern was around making sure the rule is applied whenever required.
“You’re not gonna get them all right, but we’re talking about the consistency of the rule,” he said.