A VFL match between Brisbane and Southport has been marred by claims of cheating.
The Lions beat the Sharks by nine points — and it’s fortunate they did, lest the controversy be worse, given a clear Brisbane goal was called touched by the umpires.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Debate rages over false touched ball in VFL.
Stream analysis, local footy and the biggest moments free on 7plus
Brisbane player Benjamin Thomas kicked what he thought was a match-sealing goal in the dying stages of Saturday’s clash.
The ball sailed through the goals comfortably at mid-goal post height.
And yet it was called a point.
The goal umpire appeared to be setting up to signal a goal until the field umpire came over and clarified that he thought it was touched off the boot.
Lions players — and fans around the ground — were confused but forced to move on quickly as the Sharks kicked the ball back in and the game continued.
“I was so confused when that was called touched!” one fan said.
Another who was at the ground was just as baffled: “I was up the other end and just thought ‘aw bad luck’ and didn’t think of it again until I was flicking through my photos and noticed the Southport bloke missed it by a metre. The heck is going on with these umpires?”
“It’s odd though as the players seemed to know it was touched? I can’t see where it was though,” a third said, even after seeing the replay.
It has since emerged that the player on the mark, former Port Adelaide draftee Boyd Woodcock, falsely claimed he touched the ball off the boot — and successfully so — in an act that has divided opinion.
Woodcock appears to deliberately clap his hands and knock his boots together at exactly the moment the ball passes his fingers to simulate the sound of the ball being touched.
His sneaky play fooled the umpire, who was convinced the ball was touched, despite still photos and video replays showing the ball clearly missing Woodcock’s hands by around a metre.
“Southport player claps and clicks his boots together at the same time the ball goes past to trick the umpire into thinking they hear the ball touched,” someone who shared the vision on social media said.
Some called it “clever”. Others didn’t see it the same way.
“Southport guy on the mark clapped his hands together then claimed it was touched. 200IQ move or cheating?” someone said on social media.
Another added: “Not only has the ball sailed past the man on the mark by >1m, the man on the mark also jumped forward instead of up. It should have been 50.
“In summary: the defender is a cheat for claiming the touch and the field umpire should be officiating club footy next week. Shambles.”
The behind, which was the final score of the game, didn’t cost the Lions a win, with the siren going soon after.
“Bizarre, lucky it didn’t cost Brisbane the game cause there’d be serious issues if it did,” a final fan said.