Two weeks of silence from the AFL on a potential timekeeping error that shaped the final ladder ended on Friday, but not in satisfactory fashion according to Andy Maher.
During the Round 23 game between Brisbane and West Coast, the Lions scored the point required to overtake the Western Bulldogs on the ladder and enter the top four, booting the Dogs to fifth, with less than 20 seconds left on the clock.
However, a timekeeping error was revealed immediately after the game during a set shot for goal that saw an additional 24 seconds added to the final term.
That error sent shockwaves throughout the finals series, with Brisbane taking on Melbourne in a Qualifying Final while the Western Bulldogs faced a cutthroat Elimination Final against Essendon.
The pair will meet in a Semi Final on Saturday night at the Gabba. The Lions having the home field advantage in essence because of the timekeeping error.
AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan brushed it aside when asked directly about the situation on Friday.
“I didn’t even know that there was a mistake. I heard that there was a mistake, but I haven’t had it put to me that there was a mistake,” McLachlan told 3AW.
“Whether there was a glitch for 14 seconds, our team generally is doing their best all of the time.
“We’ve had an incredible year and everyone is generally making great decisions.”
Maher can’t believe McLachlan’s answer given the seriousness of the potential error.
“I’m a big fan of Gil, that’s a shocking answer,” Maher told SEN’s Bob and Andy.
“Several missteps in the one answer to the question. Terrible from the boss.
“It took Tom Morris 20 minutes after the final siren to expose this and I’ve been in contact with Tom a couple of times just to check if there has been a response because he’s leading the way on this one, nothing.
“He’s shown other examples that he’s got issues with that haven’t been addressed.
“I think for the CEO to dismiss it the way he did then was pretty poor by Gil.
“He’s had a lot on his mind, it’s been a tough two years and by-and-large to have got through the way they have, it’s been heroic by everyone involved in footy, so we’re not going to hang him on one, but that was poor.
“That smacks of ‘listen, if I just stop talking about it and don’t address it, everyone else will drop the ball sooner or later and it’ll just go away’.
“That’s actually not good enough and Gillon McLachlan knows it was 24 seconds. He knows exactly that there was an error made. He knows that.”
Former Western Bulldogs captain Bob Murphy agreed, adding: “That’s a pretty rare misstep (from McLachlan)”.