Gerard Healy believes the confusion surrounding the push-in-the-back rule is becoming a blight on the AFL, pointing to numerous contentious calls from Sunday that had a role to play in two close games.
Stopping short of saying both winners were undeserving, Healy suggested that poor umpiring decisions perhaps swung the games in the way of the victors.
“Both winners were on the end of dodgy decisions in the last quarter that fell the right way,” he told SEN’s Sportsday.
Healy explained that Harry Himmelberg was wrongly accused of kicking the ball out on the full, a decision that led to Jack Riewoldt kicking his fifth goal of the game.
He also believes Jesse Hogan didn’t receive a deserved push in the back decision in the final term. Richmond defeated the Giants by just six points.
In Sunday’s second game, Healy also highlighted how Nick Larkey was pushed in the back by Jordan Ridley late in the game, yet no free kick was forthcoming as North Melbourne went down in a heartbreaker.
“Are those that control the game’s rules and umpire… ever going to do something about the rampant push in the back?” he pondered.
“It’s rampant and a blight on the game and continues to cost clubs four points.”
Healy also questioned whether it’s the time to introduce a ‘captain’s call’ into the AFL to prevent umpiring decisions from changing who deserves the four points.
Listen to the full editorial below