Australian football icon Leigh Matthews could not believe Jamie Cripps’ “diabolical” act which cruelled West Coast on Saturday night.
The 15th-placed Eagles were only 10 points down and in the middle of a stirring comeback against Essendon when Jake Waterman took a classy mark with nine and a half minutes to play in the final term.
Waterman looked certain to kick the goal which would have put the home side four points back and with plenty of time to run over the Bombers.
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But while he lined up his set shot, a scuffle broke out and Cripps shoved young Essendon star Nick Martin to the ground.
The umpire on the spot blew his whistle and took the ball off Waterman, paying a free kick to Martin.
While West Coast would kick one more goal for the night the Bombers managed two more behinds to win the contest by six points in a thriller.
Watching the footage back on Sunday evening, four-time premiership coach Matthews still could not believe what he saw.
“That is the most diabolical lack of discipline,” Matthews told Nine’s Footy Furnace.
“My coaching terminology was ‘they can hit you with an axe – if we’ve got (the ball), do nothing’.
“I’d be saying to Cripps that was stupid, that was nothing short of stupid.
“Don’t remonstrate. We’ve got the ball, don’t give the umpire any chance to reverse the free kick.”
AFL great Jimmy Bartel agreed.
“When you’ve got the ball inside forward 50, the opposition’s going to try suck you in,” Bartel said.
“You’ve just got walk away, kick the goal through, and then if you want to puff your chest out a little bit you can do it.
“But not while your teammate is having a shot 15 metres out.”
The loss left the Eagles with a 2-6 record to start the season.
They next face Collingwood on Sunday.