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'Never seen it before': Controversial call costs Port dearly

Port Adelaide were left to rue a controversial umpiring decision late in the fourth quarter of their heartbreaking loss to Geelong on Thursday night.

With the Power three points in front with under four minutes remaining, Charlie Dixon marked within range and set up for what could have been the match-winning goal.

Dixon was ruled to have taken too long over the set shot and was tackled by Mitch Duncan after being called to play on.

As you can see in the video above, the 30-second shot clock had clearly expired before Dixon took his first steps towards goal.

The umpire calls play on as the shot clock hits 0. Image: 7
The umpire calls play on as the shot clock hits 0. Image: 7

With less than two minutes remaining and Port still up by two, Patrick Dangerfield conjured a late moment of magic to lift Geelong to a heart-stopping two-point victory, making Dixon's brain fade all the more costly.

“I heard the umpire talk to him and he said ‘you’ve got eight seconds left’ and I looked up at the screen and saw it (the countdown) get to three and I was looking at the umpire waiting for him to throw his hands up (and call play on),” Duncan said.

“I just reacted as soon as the umpire put his hands up.

“I guess Charlie took a lot of time and I was lucky enough to read it quickly.”

While controversial, the majority of fans and pundits thought the call was correct.

Port coach Ken Hinkley said the umpires were ‘100 per cent correct’ to call play-on.

"Unfortunately they got it 100 per cent correct as far as right on the dot … time ran out," Hinkley lamented.

"I don’t think I’ve ever seen it before, but that doesn’t matter, the umpires got it right.

Dixon laments his error. Image: Getty
Dixon laments his error. Image: Getty

Hawthorn great Jason Dunstall said Dixon should have been more aware given the circumstances of the match.

“He needed to look up at the clock on the scoreboard,” Dunstall said.

“He was trying to count the clock down as well. He wanted to take his time because they were trying to ice the game.

“He’s got to sit there and say ‘I’ve got 30 seconds, I can take my 30 seconds but on 29 I have to be moving in my run up.’

“I’m not having a go at the man himself, Charlie but when the umpire is telling you to move it on plus the shot clock on the scoreboard, you really don’t have a lot of excuse.”