“Had it been Josh Daicos…”: Was “harsh” Rankine call proof of Victorian bias?

Collingwood held on in a four-point thriller against Adelaide in yesterday’s twilight clash, coming away (12.6) 78 to (11.8) 74 winners over the Crows at the MCG.

In the follow-up from the intense battle, the last minute ‘running too far’ umpiring call on Izak Rankine has stolen the headlines from the result, as the Crows’ star was pinned for exceeding the 15-metre limit without taking a bounce.

While it has been ruled as a correct call, with Rankine covering well over 15 metres in his charge down the wing, it is not uncommon for the umpires to let these darting runs go uncalled.

With that, questions are being asked of the umpires’ consistency, with further queries regarding the integrity of the game, particularly in the realm of Victorian bias.

Former SANFL and AFL legend Graham Cornes had a bit to say in regard to the umpiring call that ruled out a potentially game winning opportunity for the Crows.

“I think the decision against Izak Rankine was harsh but technically it was correct,” Cornes told SEN's Eddy Cornes Show.

“In the spirit of the game it probably would have been okay to let it go.

“Everyone is forgetting that they still had to kick the goal and there was no guarantee with the time left that they good still kick the goal.

“You can complain about it, and yes, it is a harsh call, but I don’t think they were robbed.”

Cornes went on to make a major call surrounding Victorian favouritism in the AFL, insinuating that, had it been a reverse situation, Collingwood would have been allowed to play on.

“I did tweet that had it been Josh Daicos in a similar position I don’t think the umpire would have blown the whistle,” he claimed.

“I think the statistics show that Victorian teams do get the best go at umpires and I’ve always thought it’s been that way since the early days at the Crows.

“People say ‘stop complaining’, ‘you’re getting old’, ‘you’re a dinosaur’, ‘get on with it’ but there are times when I think both Port Adelaide and the Crows do get a hard time.”

The loss leaves Adelaide 10 points outside the eight, but with a favourable three-week run against the Eagles, Hawks and Tigers, the Crows still have every chance of playing September football.