Melbourne midfielder Alex Neal-Bullen has cost his team a free kick that gifted Brisbane the match-winning goal in an AFL heartstopper on Friday night.
With the scores level at 80 apiece deep into the last quarter, the 168-gamer dived over the line deep inside his own defensive 50 with the ball in hand like a rugby league player in a clear attempt to force a throw-in to run down the clock.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Alex Neal-Bullen gives away an unforgivable free kick.
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He was under some pressure from Brisbane star Hugh McCluggage but didn’t receive any contact as he forced himself out of bounds.
Lions players all appealed for an ‘insufficient intent’ free kick and the umpire was right on the spot to make the easiest decision of the night.
“I don’t think you can argue, I mean, he only had one intention there, Neal-Bullen,” Matthew Richardson said of the free kick.
And as luck would have it for Neal-Bullen, McCluggage went back and kicked the match-winning goal from the boundary line.
Melbourne had a shot at goal just moments later after the restart but missed, and the Lions held on for a famous come-from-behind victory, keeping their finals hopes alive.
“I thought it was missing left and then it just had that tail on it,” McCluggage said after the game.
“We were peppering there in the last quarter and it would have been disappointing if we didn’t get over the line.
“They’re the ones you’ve got to win, those close ones, and we’re building some really good form, so I’m pumped.”
In what was a bizarre subplot to the final few moments of the heart-stopping finish, the official clock appeared to stand still while McCluggage was lining up for goal — after the umpire had called time back on.
Channel 7’s Brian Taylor was all over it straight away.
“Have a look at the clock — the clock didn’t move in that 30 seconds,” Taylor said.
“So, effectively, there’s another 30 seconds on the clock. I’m sure that’s what I saw.”
Matthew Richardson added: “It certainly didn’t start once McCluggage got into play and the ball was in the air.”
Taylor then had his suspicions confirmed.
“I’ve just been told that the clock stopped once it (the ball) went over the line, and it never restarted again until the score was on the board,” he said.
The Lions defied some of Melbourne’s best football and survived their own wastefulness to clinch the five-point win at the Gabba.
The hosts came from 24 points down to win 11.20 (86) to 11.15 (81).
A fourth-straight victory after a 2-5 start to the season shot the Lions (8-6-1) into the top eight for the first time — in fifth position — while the Demons’ (8-7) fifth loss in seven games will be tough pill to swallow.
Brisbane led by 15 points at quarter time but, led by ruckman Max Gawn, midfielder merchant Clayton Oliver (29 disposals, one goal) and five-goal forward Kysaiah Pickett, the Demons kicked six consecutive majors.
Pickett had four goals before halftime, but his fifth was the highlight, intercepting, fending, swivelling and then snapping off his non-preferred left foot as Melbourne flexed their muscles.
It was arguably the Demons’ best football of the season as they dominated through the middle, with forward Bailey Fritsch negating the impact of Harris Andrews for good measure.
But the Lions turned the tables in the second half, inching back within 10 points in the third quarter and eventually cracking the Demons in the final 10 minutes of the match.
They did their best to throw it away, with Eric Hipwood’s heavy handball and Joe Daniher’s uncertainty in front of goal undoing two certain majors.
Jarrod Berry and Kai Lohmann, with a neat left-foot snap, got the Lions to within a point before the returning Will Ashcroft rushed a behind to level the scores.
When Neal-Bullen was then penalised for deliberately taking the ball out of bounds, McCluggage threaded the needle from the boundary to give his side the lead.
Fritsch then snapped a behind and Melbourne went forward again, but Charlie Cameron scrapped for a loose ball and ran it out of danger with inspirational zeal to secure the win.
Josh Dunkley had a game-high 32 touches and 10 tackles for Brisbane while Cam Rayner, Daniher and Cameron all kicked two goals.
– With AAP