The 2019 AFL season has presented a number of big new stories that have shaken the game to its core.
In a rough order, these 10 stories are up there as the biggest so far this season. Can you think of any others?
3. Review system failure
The review system was brought in to remove any ambiguity with scores that may have gone over the post, hit the post or been touched by a player before the goal line.
Years prior to the system, we saw incorrect calls by the umpires that have affected the outcomes of games.
Who could forget the infamous Tom Hawkins poster in the 2009 AFL Grand Final that was awarded a goal but shouldn't have been. The Cats went on that day to win by 12 points, given that a goal came after the siren by Geelong forward Max Rooke to extend it to that margin.
The system was brought in to prevent any of these situations and for the most part, it has been successful.
However, as times go on and technology improves, you'd think that the incorrect calls initially made by the umpires would be close to none.
Yet in the past few months, we have seen seven key errors made by the bloke upstairs.
What instantly comes to mind is the Fremantle vs Collingwood game which saw Michael Walters be awarded a goal he shouldn't have.
Walters spun out of a tackle and snapped toward goal from 30 out directly in front. In an attempt to prevent the goal, a Collingwood player streamed to the goalsquare but touched it over the line.
All Pies players were signalling to the umpire to check that the ball was touched shortly after Walters kicked it and not on the goal-line. They didn't.
Instead, the goal stood. It can be argued that the six-points given was a determining factor in the outcome of the game. The Dockers won by four points.
The system is there to prevent such a thing happening and the AFL must continue to work with new technologies and its umpires to ensure that the correct decision is made all the time.
