AFL Football boss Laura Kane has all but drawn a line through a 'captain's challenge' following a contentious call late in the Fremantle-Carlton clash on Saturday at Adelaide Oval.

During the final term, a George Hewett kick was marked by teammate Matthew Cottrell, but not before it was touched by James Aish, with replays showing a clear deflection.

AFL CEO Andrew Dillon admitted to the umpiring error that gifted Carlton the lead in the dying stages, prompting movement on the idea of a 'captain's challenge'.

Kane, who admitted there's still work that needs to be done to find "consistency" in the game, says such a system, which is used in other codes, isn't on the agenda.

"It's not something we're looking at," Kane told AFL Media's Footy Feed Extra on Monday.

"We're focusing on making sure that our technology is as good as it can be for score reviews. It's not something we're looking at extending into the game itself in terms of officiating the game."

Following the missed call, Docker defender Jordan Clark was penalised for demonstrating umpire dissent, which was subsequently ticked off from the league.

Despite reports indicating that Clark was berating himself in the closing minutes of the tight encounter, the AFL has stood firmly against umpire dissent while working toward a more "consistent" output.

"We're always looking at consistency. It's something we coach our umpires on and something we're training all of them on," Kane said.

"We review all decisions and the decisions you're referring to over previous weeks (where a dissent free kick has not been paid) are something we want to see applied and officiated consistently."

MORE: Fremantle, ex-umpire at war over Jordan Clark's costly penalty

The AFL's work didn't end there, with Port Adelaide forward Jeremy Finlayson being investigated into using a homophobic slur toward an Essendon player on Friday night.

Finlayson's sanction is yet to be handed down but has been likened to North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson's outburst during a pre-season clash with St Kilda earlier this year.

Clarkson copped a two-week suspension (wholly suspended until the end of 2025), a $20,000 fine and will be required to undergo appropriate Pride in Sport training that was approved by the AFL.

Kane said that both incidents shouldn't be "compared" and that Finlayson's actions will be judged and investigated exclusively from previous situations.

"We're still working through the Integrity investigation but is something we'll look to conclude this week," Kane said.

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 05: Willie Rioli (left) and Jeremy Finlayson of the Power celebrate during the 2024 AFL Round 04 match between the Port Adelaide Power and the Essendon Bombers at Adelaide Oval on April 05, 2024 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

"I think the really important thing to note here is the consistency with vilification matters is how seriously we take them.

"They are incredibly important, integrity investigation processes for us, because this is not something that we want to hear or see on the field, off the field or in fact in society.

"In terms of comparing and contrasting, we investigate all these matters individually and make sure any sanction is connected to the incident that we are investigating and dealing with."

1 COMMENT

  1. … of course not!

    There are so many refusals to pay frees, incorrect interpretations and all-round incompetence that the captains would be justifyably “having a word” every couple of minutes….. exposing the “afl’s” incompetence relentlessly every game.

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