North Melbourne has paid the ultimate price for an interchange blunder in the dying stages of its three-point loss to Sydney.
With roughly one minute and 40 seconds remaining in the match and the Roos up by three points, Brett Ratten’s side had used 74 of its permitted 75 interchanges.
Two interchange stewards are in attendance at AFL matches; one for each club.
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Stewards will warn clubs when they have ten interchanges remaining and then warn them again with five and one remaining.
Liam Shiels came from the ground with what appeared to be cramp along with Will Phillips, which meant the club had used 76 rotations, constituting a violation.
Injured Swans defender Dane Rampe – assisting from the bench – appeared to realise what had occurred, gesturing loudly to his teammates on the field.
In the Laws of Australian Football, rule 7.2(b) dictates the interchange steward report the violation to a field umpire and that the field umpire will stop play “at the first available opportunity”.
That opportunity came 41 seconds later at the next stoppage, which occurred inside Sydney’s forward 50 with 59 seconds remaining.
A free kick and 50 metre penalty was awarded to Hayden McLean, which resulted in a set shot from the top of the goal square.
McLean converted the shot and put his side up by three points with what would be the final score of the match.
Ratten opted against delving too deep into the mixup post-match.
“We’ll have a look at it during the week and work out how we can do some things better but we’re not going to worry about that we had our chances,” he said.
“So, we’ll have a look and review it and see if we can get better … there’s sometimes chat about we’re getting close, but there’s nothing from a senior coach’s point of view where I’m looking at the interchanges, no we leave that to the bench.”
Sydney Swans coach John Longmire said he was unaware of what had occurred in the lead-up to the free kick and 50 metre penalty.
“I had no idea what was going on,” Longmire said.
“I genuinely had no idea what the free kick and 50 was paid for it wasn’t until afterwards someone told me after the siren had gone.”