AFL CEO Andrew Dillon has admitted to an umpiring error that gifted Carlton the lead in the dying stages of Carlton's 10-point win over Fremantle on Saturday.

A George Hewett kick to Matthew Cottrell late in the fourth seemed to be touched by Docker James Aishย but was not seen by the umpire who awarded a mark and set shot to the trailing Blues.

A slow-motion replay behind the play revealed a clear deviation as the ball passed Aish's arm, before Docker players rushed to tackle Cottrell, believing a play-on call was warranted.

The following goal led to impassioned protests from the Fremantle players to the on-field umpire, who whistled a dissent free kick against 23-year-old Jordan Clark, giving Carlton another shot at goal.

Jordan Clark during the 2022 AFL Round 19 match between Richmond and Fremantle (Photo by Cameron Grimes / Zero Digital Media)

According toย Herald Sun's Jon Ralph, Clark was "berating himself" by uttering the expression: โ€œYou f***ing idiot, Jordanโ€.

Ralph goes on to say: "He had been verbally challenging the umpires all day, and I think he acknowledges that to some of his teammates.

"So, you can absolutely understand why the umpire thought he was directing it at him.

"When Alex Pearce went to clarify that with the umpires, they said 'We didn't hear exactly what was said but we thought it was demonstrative'."

The incident allowed Carlton to seal the win and the AFL has since addressed the ending of the match, Andrew Dillon telling the Sunday Footy Show that while the initial mark should not have been awarded, the proceeding free kick should have.

"The dissent was there and it was the right call by the umpire," Dillon said the morning after the game.

"I can't repeat what was said but the dissent was there.

"We have acknowledged also that it was touched, so the free wasn't there in the first place. So we missed that.

"We've acknowledged the mistake there, but the dissent decision was correct."

Ex-AFL umpire and controversial figure Michael Pell had his say on X following the incident, lambasting Fremantle's Jordan Clark for his alleged "stinky attitude".

Pell, who stole headlines in a 2022 Brownlow betting scandal, labelled Clark a "spoilt brat" and a repeat offender in the dissent space, revealing he once warned the player in a 14v14 match to stop abusing officials.

These comments are unlikely to be addressed by the AFL or Fremantle, coach Justin Longmuir instructing his players to "move on" post-match.

But the end result is Fremantle's first loss of the season, and the side will be faced with an even greater challenge next Saturday against a rampaging Port Adelaide away from home, with the prospect of squandering their perfect 3-0 start with consecutive losses.