North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson has played down the importance of a contentious umpiring non-call that didn't see the Roos awarded a 50-metre penalty at a crucial stage of Sunday's one-point loss to Collingwood.
Wingman Bailey Scott claimed an intercept mark on the wing before being swarmed by a pair of Magpies players, with the officiating umpire not penalising either defender despite both seemingly crossing the point where Scott took possession of the ball.
Before the two Magpies players had time to retreat and amid a period of uncertainty for all involved, Scott quickly played on to get the ball deep into attack, with no score coming as a result of the play.
A 50-metre penalty would've allowed Scott a set shot on goal from a comfortable range and angle to give his side a chance to go ahead in the dying minutes, with Kangaroos fans seeing the non-decision as an egregious one by the match officials.
The Roos conceded a 54-point lead to suffer their 12th defeat of the season, with Clarkson noting any match-defining decision shouldn't have occurred in the first place given his side's comfortable buffer earlier in the match.
North fans will have a right to be upset after this wasn't paid a 50m penalty in the final minute.
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When questioned on the non-50-metre decision, the four-time premiership coach said it was one of "hundreds" that the officials have to make every game.
"There's contests and decisions like that that the umpires have to make right throughout the course of the game," Clarkson said after the defeat.
"I feel like they become more pivotal because they're right at the death in a close game, but they're making hundreds of decisions per game.
"The bottom line is that it should never have gotten to that situation in the first instance where we allowed Collingwood back into the contest. That's the learning of it."
A turning point in the contest seemed to come from North Melbourne's decision to sub midfielder Will Phillips out of the game ahead of the final term, with the returning Roo managing to get the upper hand on Collingwood star Nick Daicos in a run-with role against the All-Australian onballer.
Phillips was surprisingly taken out of the match as the Roos looked to inject tactical sub Jaidyn Stephenson's fresh legs into the match, with veteran Liam Shiels stepping into the role of tagging Daicos for the final term.
Daicos had 10 disposals, three goals assists, four score involvements and four inside 50s in the fourth quarter alone to significantly influence the result, with Shiels struggling to quell the young Magpies sensation after being handed the role at the final break.
"He was doing a good job, but we had the freshness of the sub and Will was starting to fatigue a little bit," Clarkson said of the club's sub decision.
"We just thought the freshness of the sub and with Liam Shiels trying to finish that job off (would work).
"When you don't win you sit there and ask, 'Was that pivotal?' I don't think it was pivotal in terms of the final result, but we just wanted to use the freshness of the sub.
"[Jaidyn] was okay when he came on and gave us a little bit of drive. He had a couple opportunities near goal, including one early in the last quarter where you'd think he'd normally convert that shot.
"You take some punts with the sub sometimes and we jut thought the fresh legs would help us."
Kangaroos co-captain Jy Simpkin was a late out for the game after pulling up tight from a full training session on Friday, with scans showing some damage in his hamstring. The club is hopeful the injury is minor and that the onballer might play against Melbourne this week.
Having held a nine-goal lead during Sunday's contest, North Melbourne were a chance of lifting off the 18th rung on the ladder had they continued on their positive trajectory from the first half.
The Arden Street club now remains at the foot of the ladder with one win from 13 matches, sitting four points and two per cent from the 17th-placed Richmond.
The Kangaroos head to the MCG this Saturday night to face the Demons, who are coming off their mid-season bye.
