‘White-hot fury’: Mitchell’s rage over forgotten ump call as big rule change revealed

An angry Sam Mitchell reacted with “white-hot fury” to a series of crucial umpire decisions in the dying moments of Hawthorn’s heartbreaking preliminary final loss to Brisbane, as debate continues to rage around the footy world.

Hawks fans were left incensed at the MCG when three decisions in a row went against them in the final minute, leading to Hugh McCluggage’s match-winning goal.

The most infamous has clearly been the call by umpire Hayden Meyer to penalise Jarman Impey for holding the ball, with the Hawk ruled to have not made a genuine attempt to dispose of the football.

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That decision, which set up McCluggage’s go-ahead major, was declared “100 per cent right” by Fox Footy commentator Gerard Whateley.

But post-match, Mitchell declared that free was “probably not the one I was focused on”, with the Hawks coach reacting furiously in the box as a Grand Final spot was wrested from his team’s grasp.

“A couple leading up to it and other key moments in the game,” he said of the incidents that had frustrated him most.

“I’m sure the umpires will assess how they performed in the game in key moments.

“The Mitch Lewis out of bounds one and the (Dayne) Zorko free kick.

“It’s not for me to say.”

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A minute earlier, key forward Lewis, tracking down a bouncing ball down the Shane Warne Stand wing from Jack Ginnivan, had the ball bounce off his fingers and over the boundary line.

Hawks fans exploded in outrage when the free kick was paid against him for insufficient intent.

Then, moments later, Josh Weddle was penalised for high contact after clipping Dayne Zorko as the Lion skirted around an attempted tackle.

Replays showed the Hawk had made glancing, but far from severe, contact with Zorko’s head.

“That was white-hot fury from Sam there, who let’s face it, was really strong,” Fox Footy reporter Jon Ralph said of Mitchell’s press conference.

“Basically said “I’m sure the umpires will assess how they performed in the game in those key moments.”

Of the Lewis incident, Ralph declared the umpire had made the “correct call”, citing a contentious mid-season rule change that prevented players from circumventing the introduced “last disposal” rule by getting a touch to the ball as it crossed the line.

The tweak has caused controversy throughout the season, with a call to penalise Carlton defender Nick Haynes for insufficient intent in the Blues’ Gather Round loss to Adelaide copping a particularly savage backlash.

“You have to try and drag the ball in,” Ralph said.

“It is the correct call – you remember down in Geelong, we had a couple of incidents like that about Round 6, and we saw the rules change mid-season.”

Ralph added on X: “It’s no consolation for Hawthorn but until round 3 Mitch Lewis could take the ball over the line like that in the last 90 seconds.”

“Then players were diving for the line just to get a fingernail on the ball to avoid a lasso free kick,” he wrote.

“So the AFL changed the rule mid-season to ensure a player had to attempt to bring the ball back in rather than escorting it out.

“Unfortunately for the Hawks it reared its head in the dying seconds.”

However, a trio of former greats in Jordan Lewis, Tom Hawkins and Jonathan Brown disagreed with Ralph, saying Lewis was “stiff” to have been pinged.

“That’s for me the wrong call,” Hawks four-time premiership great Lewis said on Fox Footy

“I’m not too sure what you’re meant to do there when you’re going full speed towards the boundary line.

“The ball was bouncing that way.

“I just thought that was a big call to make in a really important part of the game.

“I think what they’re asking players to do is to somehow get a hand behind the ball. It’s pretty hard when you’re out, fully stretched, to try and (do that).”

“What if he took possession of that and fell over (the boundary line)?” Lions champion Brown wondered.

“Do you think it would have been still paid?”.

“I don’t think it’s deliberate,” Lewis replied.

“I actually think he’s trying to take possession,” Hawkins added.

“That’s probably the nuances in it, but for me, that was an important part of the game,” Lewis finished.

“It seemed like a 50/50, I know the AFL will probably come out and tick that one off, but that was free kick, bang-bang-bang, down the other end, game over.”

Even Brown admitted: “I thought it was stiff.”

However, the decision to award Zorko a free was questioned.

“It’s not much – that’s not a free kick, is it?” Ralph said of Weddle’s high contact.

“Does he make the most of it?”

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