AFL will stress video review operators to only overrule blatant errors after contentious MCG callJon Ralph, Chris Cavanagh,
Herald Sun
28 May 2018THE AFL will this week stress to its video review operators they should only overrule blatant errors and not lineball decisions.
The league yesterday said that Jack Higgins’ overruled goal was the correct decision despite outcry from the AFL community.
But the Herald Sun understands AFL football operations boss Steve Hocking will effectively tell the video operators not to attempt to be heroes with difficult calls.
Only when there is overwhelming evidence should they change the decision made by the goal umpire on the day.
The league is expected to clarify the process in a statement this afternoon.
Richmond legend Matthew Richardson jokingly said goal umpires were becoming irrelevant because their decisions were rarely upheld.
The AFL tells the “third umpire” it should always use the camera angle furthest from the ball to avoid distortion of the lens.
On Saturday the camera angle furthest from the ball appeared to indicate not all of the ball was over the line when St Kilda’s Tom Hickey touched Tiger Higgins’ long-range shot.
The Fox Footy angle closer to the ball — which could have been affected by distortion — showed the ball clearly over the line.
Regardless, a decision that is impacted by the distortion of a camera angle should not be overturned.
Hocking told 3AW yesterday that there was the basis for a quality system, having ruled out a “bunker” trialled by the AFL in 2016.
“We have been very clear with the goal umpires. Whatever their position is, unless it’s overwhelmingly obvious you don’t change it,” he said.”
And we have communicated that to the score reviewers and clearly we need to continue to do that.
“The angle everyone has seen is different to the one that is used for the review. That is the one we need to sort out.”
Asked if Richmond was robbed, he made clear the right decision had been made regardless of the process.
“No, they weren’t. When you’re looking at what you’ve seen that is a different angle. We’ll clear that up during the week.”
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