AFL slammed for insisting the right call was made in chaotic ending to North’s win over Fremantle

Kane Corners and Tony Jones have slammed the AFL for being ‘completely wrong’ over the controversial ending to North Melbourne’s one-point win over Fremantle on Saturday.

Fremantle trailed by a point after kicking three goals in the last five minutes of the game, when Daniel Howe desperately kicked the ball straight out of bounds.

A free-kick to the Dockers for insufficient intent appeared inevitable, but the umpires ruled the siren had sounded before the ball went out of the bounds meaning a free-kick could not be awarded.

‘The siren went before it went out of bounds,’ field umpire Rob Findlay told Fremantle players, who remonstrated with the officials.

‘That‘s the call we’ve made.’

Former Port Adelaide star Kane Cornes (left) blasted the AFL for being too reluctant to admit mistakes, while Tony Jones (right) argued the call that went against Fremantle was wrong

The decision not to awarded to Fremantle has divided the AFL world and Jones insisted umpires had made the wrong call.

‘I’m not invested either way with these clubs but I think the AFL is completely wrong, I think the siren sounded after the ball went out of bounds,’ he said on Channel 9’s Sunday Footy Show.

The umpires believed the siren went before the ball went out of bounds, meaning a free-kick could not be awarded.

For a free-kick to be paid, the boundary umpire would have to signal the ball out of on bounds before the siren sounded, to allow the umpire to make a decision. 

Former Port Adelaide great Kane Cornes was not surprised to see the AFL defend the decision, suggesting the league was notoriously reluctant to admit umpires had made mistakes.

‘There’s a thought that the AFL just tick off every decision,’ he said.

‘Very rarely do they come out and say it’s wrong.’

On Sunday, the AFL sought to clarify the incident and insisted the umpires had made the right call.

‘The AFL has reviewed the final passage of play in the Fremantle v North Melbourne match at Optus Stadium yesterday,’ it said in a statement.

‘The final siren sounded before the ball goes out of play.

The Dockers were left distraught after losing by a point in front of their home fans on Saturday

Fremantle players were left remonstrating with the officials after they were seemingly denied a clear free-kick right at the end of the game

‘The umpire’s decision on the ground was correct.’

Dockers coach Justin Longmuir was magnanimous despite the circumstances and said he trusted the umpires to have made the right decision.

‘I trust the umpire got it right. My gut feel is we would have stolen it if we had got a shot on goal and we had have drawn or won it,’ he said after the game. 

‘I admire the boys’ fight at the end and never-give-up attitude, but we’ve got a bit of work to do. On that last incident, I trust the umpire got it right.’