AFL says holding the ball being umpired correctly despite Carlton coach David Teague seeking clarity on rule interpretation

Carlton fans were fuming after a number of dubious holding the ball decisions cost their team big time against West Coast. But the league says the way the rule is being umpired is improving the game. The Blues defender was twice penalised for holding the ball free kicks, with Carlton coach David Teague saying post-match his players were crying out for clarity on the rule. But the league was desperate to get more flow in football and believes the crackdown on that aspect of holding the ball has had the desired result. It will not comment on specific decisions, but the umpires department believed Petrevski-Seton was immediately tackled by Jack Darling and had no ability to get rid of the ball. He was penalised for that free kick, with a 50m penalty for abusing an umpiring turning it into a certain West Coast goal. SCROLL DOWN TO VOTE IN OUR POLL Round 11 featured a number of high-scoring, free-flowing games including St Kilda-Gold Coast and Port Adelaide-Richmond, with scoring up over 20 per cent over the weekend. Champion Data statistics reveal the number of free kicks is at its highest since 2013, adjusted per minute for the shorter quarters this season. Normalised for a full-length game, this season the rate of free kicks has been 43.5 per game, compared to 37.6 in a full-length game last season. Holding-the-ball free kicks are also up at their highest point since 2013, at 10.5 a game normalised for a full-length game. In 2013, there were only 5.8 holding-the-ball free kicks per game, and 5.6 per game in 2014. AFL legend Dermott Brereton told Fox Footy on the weekend he believed clubs were now keeping their forwards in position because of the crackdown. He said instead of absorbing contact and forcing stoppages players were forced to quick-kick forward so they were not penalised. If clubs do not have players forward of the ball - or concede an extra number in defence - they are at a disadvantage. Compared to the first 11 rounds of last season there are about six more free kicks paid per game, two of them for holding the ball. Teague wants ‘clarity’ on holding the ball shocker Carlton coach David Teague says his players are seeking “a fair bit of clarity” on the new holding the ball interpretation, which is under fire again after a controversial decision in the Blues’ loss to West Coast on Sunday. Midfielder Sam Petrevski-Seton was penalised for holding the ball and failing to make a genuine attempt to dispose of it in the first quarter at Optus Stadium. The 22-year-old was wrapped up by Jack Darling, with both arms pinned immediately after taking possession at a stoppage. Teague described the decision to penalise him for holding the ball was “an interesting one” but sympathised with the umpires as they adjusted to a mid-season change in interpretation. “I will never ask our players to not go for the ball,” Teague said. “’Sammo’ is a beautiful ball-winner. We want him to go and hunt the ball. “He got a free kick against, that’s going to happen sometimes, but my message to our players is any chance you can put your head over the ball and win the ball, you win it. “If you get stung for holding the ball we’ll wear that. “It was an interesting one.” Teague said the mid-season directive to tighten the adjudication of the holding the ball rule had left players and coaches unclear about what scenarios will result in a free kick. “Our players are seeking a fair bit of clarity around it at the moment,” he said. “It’s a hard one. Any time you change an interpretation through the season, it’s quite hard. As much for the umpires to adjudicate. “Whether the umpires felt that was right or wrong that call, I don’t know because they’re going to make mistakes as well. “So it’s hard for us as coaches and players to understand which one was an error and which one wasn’t to get a pattern going forward. “It’ll work out. Right now you’ve got to try and move the ball on pretty quick when you can. “But if you’ve got no other option, you’ve got no other option.” Carlton fought and scrapped to keep West Coast at bay but couldn’t go the distance against the premiership favourites, who kicked away to win by 22 points and climb back into the top four on Sunday night. The Blues sprung West Coast at a slippery Optus Stadium with a high-pressure assault that had them 19-points clear early in the third quarter. But as the sun emerged the Eagles found their groove, kicking five straight goals in the third term to set up the 11.6 (72) to 7.8 (50) win, their sixth in succession. Midfielder Dom Sheed had 26 possessions and nine clearances, kicking back-to-back goals in the fourth quarter in a best-on-ground performance that continued his purple patch. The Blues’ loss was soured by a calf injury to star recruit Jack Martin, who didn’t return after leaving the ground in the second quarter. Midfielders stick the boots in There were five centre clearances in third quarter and West Coast won every one of them as the midfield got rolling after a quiet start. Sheed led the charge, with Elliot Yeo, Tim Kelly and Luke Shuey all lifting, breaking out of stoppages and delivering the ball inside 50 with more class. The beneficiary was Coleman Medal leader Josh Kennedy, who was beaten in his battle with Jacob Weitering to that point but broke away to kick back-to-back goals. The Eagles’ midfield depth was the critical factor with the game on the line and the Eagles won the clearance battle convincingly (43-32). De Koning stands up in ruck test Injuries have helped the Blues unearth one ruckman already this season, and on Sunday Tom de Koning grabbed his chance to step up with both hands. With No.1 big man Marc Pittonet sidelined during the second quarter with a hand complaint, De Koning led the ruck against in-form Eagles star Nic Naitanui and impressed. Playing his third career game and first for 2020, the 21-year-old positioned well in the ruck and competed hard, even leaping over Naitanui at times and laying a big tackle on his All-Australian opponent. The Blues are unlikely to see injured ruckman Matthew Kreuzer again this season, and De Koning presented a compelling case to stay in the 22 alongside Pittonet, who returned in the second half. Worst decision of the year? The confusion around the new interpretation of holding the ball was best captured during the opening quarter of Sunday’s clash. After several instances where the umpires chose to throw the ball up rather than reward the tackler, Sam Petrevski-Seton fell victim to the new interpretation being policed with arguably too much vigour. No sooner had he taken possession, he was jumped on by Jack Darling in a perfect tackle that pinned the young Blue’s arms and left him unable to move, let alone attempt to dispose of the ball. The Blues protested umpire Nathan Williamson’s decision and a 50m penalty was awarded, gifting Darling a certain goal. The argument that Petrevski-Seton should have made an attempt to dispose of the ball doesn’t hold up when he was enveloped by the 95kg Darling. SCOREBOARD WEST COAST 2.2 3.3 8.4 11.6 (72) CARLTON 2.0 5.4 6.5 7.8 (50) GOALS West Coast: Darling 2, Kennedy 2, Sheed 2, Cameron, Cripps, Gaff, Sheppard, Waterman Carlton: Fisher 4, Gibbons, Setterfield, Walsh BEST West Coast: Sheed, Naitanui, Yeo, Duggan, Sheppard, Kelly, Shuey Carlton: Fisher, Weitering, Kennedy, Cripps, Murphy, Setterfield INJURIES West Coast: Nil Carlton: Pittonet (hand), Martin (calf) VOTES 3. Dom Sheed (West Coast) 2. Nic Naitanui (West Coast) 1. Elliot Yeo (West Coast) FANS FUME AT FREE KICK CONTROVERSIES — Grady Hudd The holding the ball interpretation continues to create controversy after a handful of questionable free kicks were paid during the West Coast and Carlton game on Sunday afternoon. During the half-time break, commentator and former Geelong premiership captain Cameron Ling pointed to three prominent examples in the opening two terms where players were pinged for dubious holding the ball decisions. Carlton midfielder Michael Gibbons and West Coast utility Elliot Yeo were both penalised despite having only just gathered possession. But it was the call against Blue Sam Petrevski-Seton that was most baffling. The livewire youngster grabbed the ball out of midair and was immediately wrapped up by Eagle Jack Darling, with no clear way to dispose of the footy, but still had a free kick paid against him. Ling said it wasn’t surprising “we’re all a bit confused” about the way the rule has been interpreted by umpires during the 2020 season. “There was no prior opportunity (in the Petrevski-Seton call), so it was all about insufficient attempt to get rid of the footy,” he said. “So, I’m confused, I feel we all are in the same boat and there’s a lot of people out there not sure if it’s going to be paid or not paid.” Petrevski-Seton was again penalised for holding the ball late in the third quarter after being tackled by Eagle Jame Cripps in similar fashion – the free kick resulted directly in a West Coast goal.