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AFL legend slams 'deplorable' Higgins call

AFL legend Leigh Matthews has labelled the Shaun Higgins' play-on call 'deplorable' after the North Melbourne player was chased down unawares on Saturday night.

Higgins was lining up for a shot at goal with under a minute left in the third quarter of the Bulldogs' one-point win over the Kangaroos at Etihad Stadium.

Having won a free kick with 55 seconds left on the clock, Higgins was still to begin his run-up after 35 seconds.

Standing 20 metres behind Higgins, Bulldogs forward Jake Stringer gestured towards an umpire standing inside 50.

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That umpire soon called play on, but Stringer was the only player to notice after the umpire standing 10 metres to Higgins' right stayed silent.

"I didn't hear a lot, which was the issue," Higgins said on Channel 7's Game Day.

Bulldogs player Lachie Hunter confirmed he "didn't hear a thing" despite standing next to the man on the mark.

Shaun Higgins talks with an umpire. Pic: Getty
Shaun Higgins talks with an umpire. Pic: Getty

"I was looking up at the scoreboard to try and see where the shot clock was, and I don't even think it was up at that stage, so I don't know how you're supposed to know," he said.

Matthews, who won four premierships as a player and four more as a coach, said the play-on call - as well as a similar incident with Port Adelaide's Charlie Dixon earlier this year - went against footballing sense.

"This is deplorable. What happened with Charlie Dixon and Shaun, it should only happen if they're total numbskulls," he said.

"Because what happens, you've got an umpire 40 metres away who's controlling the play and trying to tell you they're counting down the clock. And you've got an umpire five metres away saying nothing. It is just stupid. I'm serious.

"Some things annoy me - I don't care about staging, I don't care about jumper punching. Taking the ball off a player who's earned a shot at goal, who's locked into his concentration mode to try and set the shot... you've got an umpire five metres away who should be the one counting you down. Because 40 metres away at Eithad Stadium, you just don't hear them."

North Melbourne coach Brad Scott refused to outright criticise the umpires after the match in a bid to save his money but he did declare he was unhappy.

"I'm not telling you that you're not frustrated at certain times - obviously everyone associated with North Melbourne were frustrated at certain times in the first half in particular," Scott said.

"But what are you going to do about it?"