AFL says umpire made right call in dramatic Friday night ending

The AFL says umpire Matt Stevic made the correct call not awarding a 50m penalty to Richmond in the dying seconds of Friday night’s game at the SCG.

Dion Prestia was paid a free kick on the siren on the wing, with Chad Warner kicking the ball in the stands as the siren sounded in Sydney’s thrilling six-point win.

If a 50m penalty was awarded, Prestia would’ve likely kicked a goal that would have tied the score.

Releasing a statement on Saturday morning, the AFL says the right call was made after Stevic and fellow umpire John Howorth consulted on-field in the dramatic final moments of the game.

“The AFL confirms the decision late in last night’s match to not pay a 50m penalty was correct,” the statement revealed by SEN Chief Sports Reporter Sam Edmund said.

“The free kick to Richmond player Prestia was correctly paid by the non-controlling umpire in the centre of the ground] and almost immediately after the free kick was paid, the siren sounded.

“The umpires then made the correct call in not applying a 50m penalty against Swans player Warner, given the immediacy of the free being paid, the siren sounding and the ball being kicked into the crowd.”