Michael Voss seething as umpire controversy dogs Sydney-Carlton match

Contributor
Kieran Francis
Michael Voss seething as umpire controversy dogs Sydney-Carlton match image

Carlton coach Michael Voss couldn't hide his dismay at an incorrect umpiring decision as the Blues went down to Sydney by 16 points at the SCG on Friday night.

After leading for most of the match, the Blues were blown away in the final term with a Brodie Grundy running goal early in the quarter seeing the home side grab the lead and not relinquish it.

While Voss didn't blame an umpiring decision for his team's defeat, the Carlton boss was clearly unhappy with a call that hindered his team's momentum.

With Carlton leading by 11 points in the early stages of the second quarter, Mitch McGovern was penalised for kicking the ball out on the full when it clearly ricocheted off his leg into the turf before crossing the line.

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Isaac Heeney snapped a goal from the resulting free kick, which Voss claimed was only not seen properly by the adjudicating field and boundary umpires.

“It was only two people that actually saw it not bounce,” Voss said during his post-match press conference.

“Everyone else in the stadium saw the ball bounce. There was only two people that didn’t see the right result.

“That’s probably about as much as I can say. I’ve probably said too much already to be fair, so I’ll just leave it at that.”

Further umpiring controversy occurred a short time later with play not stopped for 85 seconds as Aaron Francis struggled with a head knock in the hands of the trainers.

The Francis incident comes a week after the mishandling of Lachie Schultz's concussion in Collingwood's win over Fremantle.

Despite the umpiring issues, Voss admonished his team for running out of steam after being front for most of the first three quarters.

"I guess it's stating the obvious, isn't it, they finished off the game better than us," Voss said. 

"I think that's what makes you pretty pissed off, to be honest. We had the game where we wanted it and we couldn't finish off the game."