North Melbourne may have cost themselves a win on Saturday against Sydney with an interchange infringement in the final minute handing the Swans a certain goal which put them up 93-90 in the dying stages of the clash.
With clubs only allowed to make 75 interchanges per game, the Kangaroos were punished for making a 76th, with Sydney’s Hayden McLean being awarded a free kick for the breach as well as a 50m penalty, sending him to the goal line where he simply put the ball through the big sticks.
While making 76 was clearly a horrific error, Riley Beveridge revealed some extra vision on AFL.com.au's The Round So Far that the Kangaroos may have made a 77th interchange following the goal.
The vision shows Liam Shiels coming back onto the ground after he was the 75th change minutes earlier.
Kane Cornes was astounded by the vision and the pair agreed that the Swans should have been awarded another free kick and 50m penalty as a result, giving them another shot on goal.
Beveridge: “I want to ask, did they also make a 77th one?”
Cornes: “A 77th?”
Beveridge: “(Liam) Shiels comes off for (Hugh) Greenwood and (Tom) Powell comes on for (Will) Phillips.
“Powell for Phillips is the 76th interchange, it’s crucial to remember those names because this is two minutes after that change (another change is made).
“Hayden McLean kicks the goal and Powell comes back off the ground - whether or not they’re trying to reverse it - it’s Shiels that comes back onto the field (not Phillips).
“The AFL tonight are saying they’re comfortable with the way the call was adjudicated but they’re going to review it in the coming days to decide whether or not a 77th change was made.
“That’s also whether or not Sydney should have had another free kick, another 50m penalty from the centre square taking them 30 metres out for another shot on goal.”
Cornes: “It’s extraordinary vision, to me it looks like a 77th.
“That’s the only logical explanation.”
Beveridge: “If you are able to reverse it, it should have been Phillips coming onto the field for Powell.”
Cornes: “It should have been the same player, and we’re not exactly sure if you’re allowed to reverse it, I wouldn’t understand why.
“Surely if you’ve made the 76th, the free kick and 50m has been paid and that’s it, you can make no further interchanges.
“If that’s a 77th the way I should see it is it should have been another free kick and a 50 from where that ball was.
“It’s bizarre.”
Watch the vision of the incident below:
Did the Roos make a 77th interchange as well? 🧐@RileyBev and @kanecornes unpack the 'bizarre' vision of North Melbourne's bench blunder on The Round So Far, thanks to @AAMI: https://t.co/HTrmnBHWVa pic.twitter.com/ncBvILS5lt
— AFL (@AFL) May 20, 2023
Photo: AFL.com.au