Face of Nation : Geelong great Jimmy Bartel has levelled stunning accusations at the AFL in the wake of the score review controversy that erupted at the death of the GWS, Essendon match on Thursday night.
The incident saw GWS defender Adam Kennedy get a slight touch on Shaun McKernan’s shot at goal but there was no score review despite Kennedy remonstrating with umpires.
Yet on Friday AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan backed the decision of the umpires and the process they went through.
“They had to make a decision about was that ball touched beyond reasonable doubt, that is the standard to overturn the decision,” he said.
“They made the decision on the night that it wasn’t touched in their mind beyond reasonable doubt.”
Bartel though slammed those comments and accused the AFL of lying.
“What frustrates me the most is you’re either blatantly lying to us or you’re so inept at your job someone’s got to pay for it,” Bartel told Macquarie Sports Radio.
“Don’t tell the general public that you review every goal because clearly you don’t, that’s the frustrating thing.
“It took us five seconds on the coverage last night to go ‘actually we should have a look at this’.”
Bartel then set his sights on the AFL’s head of football operations Steve Hocking, saying that he had been absent during times when issues covered by his department were under scrutiny.
“Whoever the football operations manager is of the AFL, we don’t see you or hear you,” Bartel said.
“We have Dane Rampe climbing a goalpost, we don’t hear from you. We have players abusing umpires and we don’t hear from you.
“You dump six lousy rules on us but you’ll spruik them and AFLX.
“It’s you’re brief and remit, talk to the fans and (explain) why you keep stuffing this up.”
That spray flew in the face of McLachlan’s take on the goal review process, with the AFL boss calmly batting away criticism.
“I’m comfortable with the process that played out,” he told 3AW radio.
“The best people, using the right time, using the right technology and making the decision.
“After that, everyone out there has got different views about whether the decision was right or wrong.
“The view of the AFL will come from the footy department today. I’m not going to comment on whether I think it’s right or wrong.”
While Bartel was livid, GWS coach Leon Cameron refused to blame the controversy for his side’s narrow loss.
