Garry Lyon and Tim Watson both believe a free kick should have been paid to Collingwood’s Brayden Maynard in the dying moments of Saturday’s Grand Final.
Maynard was blocked by West Coast’s Willie Rioli, which allowed Dom Sheed to mark and kick the winning goal, with the non-call causing mass debate post-game.
“It is umpired differently in a big game,” Watson told SEN Breakfast.
“I think they swallowed their whistles in the last quarter. They decided this game won’t be decided by our decision making.
“In any other game, that is a free kick.”
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Lyon thinks it was a free kick, but also understands the non-call was in line with the way the game was officiated.
“It’s 100 percent a free kick but if you want to raise other incidents where West Coast didn’t get a free kick or Collingwood got a lucky one I’m happy for you to do that, but on this particular incident, that’s a free kick,” he said.
“I loved the way the game was umpired.
“The game started and as a commentator, you go, that’s a free kick, and before the whistle is blown you look down the ground to see if anybody is free.
“This happened to Scott Pendlebury in the first four seconds, I looked down the ground, and then thought, oh he didn’t pay it.
“Then something else happened in the next 20 seconds for West Coast and the whistle hadn’t gone.
“I thought if that’s the way it was going to be, that’s great, you are going to have your head ripped from your shoulders to get a free kick.”