The Fox Footy LAB has uncovered a 42-second timekeeping error during Brisbane’s victory over Sydney last Sunday at The Gabba.
The Lions triumphed over the Swans by a fine margin of two points at the Gabba after Brisbane’s Callum Ah Chee goaled at the 28-minute mark to edge his side ahead.
However, in the third quarter, with a tad over 14 minutes remaining in the period, the clock was unintentionally stopped while the ball was back in play.
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With 14:05 remaining in the third term, Sydney’s Isaac Heeney was penalised for delaying the game after he handed the Sherrin to teammate Brodie Grundy instead of the officiating umpire when a ball-up was called.
Heeney stood the mark as Lions ruckman Oscar McInerney was awarded the free kick, with the umpire raising his hand to signal time back on. However, the clock had been running and the timekeeper unknowingly stopped the clock as the umpire signalled the resumption of play.
“I couldn’t get enough of the Lions and the Swans, but as it turned out, we got 42 seconds more than we were entitled to in the third quarter,” AFL 360 host Gerard Whateley told Fox Footy on Monday night.
“We were running a good portion of play with the clock stopped. Little free kick paid in here — (Isaac) Heeney hands the ball to (Brodie) Grundy instead of the umpire, umpire does everything right, timekeepers just get a little bit trigger happy and stop the clock there rather than start the clock … and we play for 41.7 seconds with the clock frozen.”
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After receiving possession, Brisbane ultimately turned the ball over and Sydney went inside forward-50 but failed to initially score — all while the clock was stopped at 14:00 — before the ball finally went out of bounds at the Swans’ forward end of the ground.
“It’s inconsequential in the grand scheme of things — nothing happens at the end of the third quarter, but …” Whateley trailed off.
Fill-in panellist Jordan Lewis added: “Might’ve helped. With 40 seconds left to go in the game, Gerard, who was winning?”
Concluded Whateley: “Who hasn’t been there? That’s not ideal in our professional sport but there we are.”
Brisbane’s edge-of-your-seat victory came after overturning a 15-point three-quarter-time deficit and included five lead changes in the final term alone.
Star Lions midfielder Hugh McCluggage notched eight disposals and two goals in the fourth quarter in a sterling effort, while not even Errol Gulden’s 27 possessions, seven inside-50s and a goal were enough to drag his Swans — who have dropped three in four games — over the line.
Source Agencies
