Score reviews plummet in round seven as umpires back their judgment; Western Bulldogs; Hawthorn Hawks; AFL umpires

The number of score reviews called for in round seven plummeted to just nine – half the average number of reviews requested in each of the previous six rounds – after the AFL finally directed goal umpires to be more willing to signal a goal if they were confident it was the correct decision.

There were nine score reviews called for in round seven, with no reviews occurring in three of the round’s matches after both crowds and goal umpires expressed frustration at the leap in the number of reviews being called for the first seven rounds (including opening round).

There had previously been an average of two reviews being made per game with goal umpires meeting AFL football operations manager Josh Mahoney after round five to express their concerns at the impact being coached to call for a review whenever a decision was close had on their ability to perform their role.

Data, provided by the AFL to this masthead, showed that there were 82 reviews between opening round and round five – an average of two per game.

The AFL’s general manager for football operations Laura Kane said the league wanted goal umpires to back their judgment with goals as each would be silently reviewed before play restarted with a centre bounce.

“If an umpire sees a goal, they should call that, they should pay that,” Kane told AFL Media.

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“After every score on the weekend, after every goal, the silent review confirmed that the umpire had made the right decision … we want the umpire to use the technology available to them to get the right score.”

Kane said the AFL wanted a review called if the goal umpire had any doubt in what the decision should be, with the league desperate to avoid another goal scoring error, such as the one that occurred in the round 23 clash between Adelaide and Sydney last season, which saw the Crows denied a goal that would have given them the lead with 72 seconds of the game remaining.