North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson declared “the better team” won his side’s thriller against West Coast as controversy erupted over a match-defining call.
The Kangaroos dramatically clutched their first win of the season, holding off a six-goal final-quarter blitz from the Eagles which saw the home side come back from a 33-point deficit.
With less than two minutes on the clock, a controversial umpiring call gifted the Roos the lead as Eagles star Elliot Yeo was pinged for holding the ball after colliding with George Wardlaw.
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Yeo laid a smashing tackle on Wardlaw that forced the ball to spill, with Jy Simpkin sweeping up the ball before the umpire’s whistle.
Yeo and his Eagles teammates were left baffled by the call as the Roos slotted the game-winning goal from a set shot 45 metres out.
“Is it a free kick?” commentator Will Schofield asked in commentary on Fox League.
Elliot Yeo of the Eagles and George Wardlaw of the Kangaroos compete for a mark. AFL Photos via Getty Images
“Not in my book,” Gerard Healy replied.
“Something would appear wrong to me if that is a free kick.
“(Yeo) busted his backside to get that from the opposition player and it’s fallen that way.
“He’s basically got up on his knees and he’s been pinged with no prior opportunity.
“That is going to have a fair bit of airplay over the next 48 hours.”
The call was met by a hostile crowd, but speaking after the game Simpkin was certain that a free kick was the correct decision.
Eagles coach Adam Simpson revealed he was unsure what to tell Yeo after the game in regards to the penalty and feared if he elaborated further on the incident there would be repercussions for him.
Adam Simpson looks on after umpire’s call. Fox Footy
“We can’t coach differently, so I don’t know what to say to Elliot. Don’t win the ball? I don’t know,” Simpson said.
“It’s probably the wrong time to ask me. I get why we made the tweak, but it seems like it will take some time to get it right.
“Players will work it out, but we have to work it out on the fly. They are pretty smart and normally work their way around it. At the moment it’s a talking point because the game looks different on occasions.
“I’m not talking about that free kick anymore, because I’ll get in trouble.”
Clarkson attributed his side’s victory to the determination of the players as the Roos broke their horror run.
“Everyone else is just looking at the win-loss column – our wins are the amount of debutants we have, the amount of game time and exposure they have,” Clarkson said after the match.
Elliot Yeo of the Eagles tackles George Wardlaw of the Kangaroos during the round 13 AFL match between West Coast Eagles and North Melbourne Kangaroos at Optus Stadium, on June 08, 2024, in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images) Getty
“We could very easily go a different path and recruit some more experienced players and play some more experienced players, but in the long term for the footy club, we think investing in the youth is what’s going to allow us to climb the ladder the quickest at some point in time.
“We’re pleased we’re taking that path. It’s a difficult path.
“A lot of clubs have been there before … When you do climb, it gives you an opportunity to sustain that and stay up there for a period of time and that’s what we’re trying to do.”