Tom Morris says umpires are “filthy” that they have been “thrown under the bus” by the AFL.

The competition’s EGM, Laura Kane, released a statement on Tuesday regarding the Lachie Schultz incident which occurred last Thursday night during Collingwood’s win over Fremantle in Perth.

The four umpires - Justin Power, Simon Meredith, Craig Fleer and Martin Rodger - should have stopped play if they saw the injured player.

Kane said the initial statement given was “incorrect” regarding the umpires failing to stop play as Schultz lay concussed on the Optus Stadium turf.

Channel 9 journalist and SEN regular Morris has revealed that the majority of the umpiring fraternity are unhappy with the way things have been handled.

“I spoke to an umpire tonight (Tuesday) and he said a large section of the umpires he speaks to are filthy with Laura Kane’s comment,” Morris said on Channel 9’s Footy Classified.

“They feel like they continually get thrown under the bus, like they’re the bottom of the food chain.”

Morris continued: “The AFL has been embarrassed by the umpires not telling what they saw on the field.

“This goes up the entire tree because it embarrasses the league and for the second week in a row we have a situation where the league is feeling humiliated because they found out something via the media.”

Trying to make sense of the saga, co-panelist Eddie McGuire believes AFL CEO Andrew Dillon is bitterly disappointed by the situation.

“Laura Kane has come out and said the buck stops with her, and it’s her fault,” said McGuire.

“I’ve spoken to Andrew Dillon tonight, he is having a full investigation. He is really disappointed that the system broke down, that is that his department didn’t go to the audio tapes which are available in real time.

“Well done to Channel 7, The Agenda Setters had the story, they’ve made it open for us to discuss.”

The former Collingwood president feels this whole circus could have been easily avoided.

“I look at that vision and the umpires seem to have it under control,” McGuire added.

“Had they come out and said ‘we had it under control and once we realised we could stop the play he was off the ground anyway’.

“I think people would have gone ‘next time stop the play and we would have been good’. Now there is going to be a royal commission on this.”

Incorrect statement

Sports journalist Caroline Wilson has revealed that the umpires involved in the clash between Collingwood and Fremantle were aware of Schultz’s collision, however failed to stop the game.

Schultz was concussed when attempting to tackle Fremantle defender Jordan Clark last Thursday night, with play continuing despite Schultz collapsing in the centre of Optus Stadium.

It was announced by the AFL, in the following statement, that the four field umpires failed to stop play as they were not aware of the injured player.

"The play can be stopped by the umpires, who are instructed to stop play as soon as they are aware there is an injured player in the vicinity of play. In last night's match the umpires did not see the injured player at the time, so play continued," read the AFL statement.

"Upon review, if umpires were aware, play would have been stopped when Daicos had possession in the middle of the ground."

On Channel 7's The Agenda Setters, Wilson revealed that the field umpires did in fact witness the collision, citing vision that has emerged displaying the umpires clearly identifying the injured Schultz, however choosing to continue play.

“We’ve got an injured player in the middle,” one of the field umpires said.

“Let it go,” another said.

“How are we looking?”

“We’re okay.

“What do you think Craig?”

“We haven’t been told… not yet.

“We can only stop it if the ball is coming towards (the injured player) or if they instruct us to stop.

“I understand, but that is what we are instructed to do.”

With the AFL’s statement clearly outlining that the umpires did not see the incident, Kane claimed responsibility for the error via a statement released to The Agenda Setters.

Kane statement is as follows:

“The statement we released was incorrect, but we were given the wrong information by the umpires.

“They (the umpires) were going off memory, and not the vision and we should always look at the vision.

“All the umpires from the game have all been coached this afternoon that they should have stopped the game.

“Having said that, this is on me. It’s the footy department that runs the umpiring and that sits with me.”