06-27-2022, 04:08 AM
The Fyfe decision was the wrong decision but the circumstances were bizarre enough that the decision can’t be solely ascribed to the crowd noise. With the benefit of replays and time to think, the commentators came up with a very plausible explanation for that kick. They noted an umpire had run into F50 moving towards goal and Fyfe appeared to be targeting the umpire in the mistaken belief he was a team mate running free into goal. If the umpires had had the luxury of time as cricket umpires do to get together for a discussion, they may have figured it out.
Without that missing piece to the puzzle, the kick from Fyfe was a perfectly executed kick which went exactly where he intended. There was no hint of it being a miskick. And it would have ended up with Freo having a stoppage and the chance to lock the ball in to F50 by setting up the wall. In the umpire’s mind, Fyfe may have preferred this outcome rather than kicking to a contest or taking a very low percentage pot shot at goal that was likely to yield only a point and hand possession to Carlton.
Without that missing piece to the puzzle, the kick from Fyfe was a perfectly executed kick which went exactly where he intended. There was no hint of it being a miskick. And it would have ended up with Freo having a stoppage and the chance to lock the ball in to F50 by setting up the wall. In the umpire’s mind, Fyfe may have preferred this outcome rather than kicking to a contest or taking a very low percentage pot shot at goal that was likely to yield only a point and hand possession to Carlton.