‘Joke': Hardwick fumesBy Sean Cowan and Alex Malcolm
afl.com.au
10:45pm AEST Friday, April 26, 2013DAMIEN Hardwick has blasted the umpires after claiming Richmond was robbed of an important late goal in its loss to Fremantle on Friday night, with Dockers coach Ross Lyon agreeing that his Tigers’ counterpart had every right to feel aggrieved.
Matt White's 23rd-minute shot on goal in the last term appeared likely to either bounce through or hit the post.
Instead, it crashed into the legs of the goal umpire and back into play. Fremantle's Stephen Hill picked the ball up and walked it through for a rushed behind, reducing the home side's lead to one point.
But Hardwick was adamant the ball had actually crossed the line and should have been a goal.
The AFL's video review system should have been used, he said.
"I know it went through for a goal," he said.
"It crossed the line. Have you see the replay? Maybe we should have called a review, you would have thought. No? Seriously, in a tight game? Joke.
"There is a system in place. Use it, or don't bother."
While White kicked a goal to give his side the lead just three minutes later, Fremantle replied through Hayden Ballantyne and held on to win by a solitary point.
Hardwick wouldn't comment on suggestions that players should have the right to call for a video review.
"At the end of the day there's a field umpire, a goal umpire, and four or five blokes sitting up in a box upstairs," he said.
"Someone make a decision."
Lyon agreed with Hardwick that White’s shot “looked like a goal”.
"I thought there was a review process in place,” he said.
“At the end of the day we’re all humans, we all make mistakes.
"Damien is entitled to voice an opinion, but I’ll leave it to the papers and the AFL to sort it out.
"I've been there. I saw Damien on the way out of the box. I said 'I feel for you because we've been there'. It's a cruel game."
http://www.afl.com.au/news/2013-04-26/damien-hardwick-post-match-press-conference
