- The game was stopped with nine minutes remaining
- Collingwood were miles ahead of the Demons
- Fans wondered why the suspension was necessary
AFL fans are furious after the Collingwood v Melbourne match at the MCG was controversially postponed on Friday night due to player safety concerns following a lightning strike.
The final quarter lasted a whopping 65 minutes, after play had been stopped for 40 minutes due to bad weather conditions.
Early in the fourth term, heavy rain began to fall, but a strong lightning bolt nearby raised concerns among AFL officials on the bench.
Play continued for another five minutes until the players were sent off when Collingwood were 41 points ahead. Eventually the Magpies won the match 15.13 (103) to 8.9 (57).
Under AFL rules, play must be stopped for 20 minutes if lightning strikes occur within 10km of the venue where the match is being played.
Amid the chaos, Collingwood player Mason Cox joked that he was glad officials had taken them off the field as he was a prime target to act as a lightning rod.
“I’m grateful, because honestly, I’d be the first to get struck by lightning, being the tallest man on Earth,” Cox joked.
“I’m actually grateful that we stopped.”
Cox may have had a sense of humor, but there were also plenty of angry fans – especially in the stands, where they had to brave the rain and lightning while the players gathered in the shed.
‘No evacuation of fans in the stands, which would be potentially more dangerous.. I give up. What a joke,’ someone posted.
“But let’s leave the whole crowd in the steel structure,” added another.
“So we’re pulling all the players off the field for the floodlights. Yet no precautions are being taken to ensure the safety of the crowd? AFL back at its best.”
Radio ABC reported that security gathered the spectators under a shelter, but that there was no evacuation of the spectators, despite the fact that AFL officials deemed the lightning strike nearby to be dangerous enough for the players.
Other fans felt sorry for the security guards and grounds officials who had to stand on the same field that the AFL had deemed unsafe for players.
‘Funny that the players have to be taken off the field. Then they send security personnel outside to stand on the field. Haha, they have to be replaceable,’ posted one.
Fans had to sit in the rain as players were escorted off the field due to a lightning strike nearby
Football fans wondered why conditions were considered unsafe for the players but not for the spectators
Others criticised the AFL’s lightning rule and demanded that play continue.
‘What a joke. MCG so close to the city, dozens of buildings with lightning rods on their roofs. More chance of winning Powerball than getting struck by lightning at the MCG,’ fumed one football fan.
Some fans believe the match should simply have been called off, as both teams were no longer eligible for the final and the outcome was already indisputable.
“If you ever shook hands and finished a game, this is it,” one supporter posted.
It was the second match at the MCG this year to be postponed due to lightning, with Hawthorn and Geelong forced to take to the dressing rooms in the final quarter of their Easter Monday blockbuster.
Former Western Bulldogs star Brad Johnson said it was a frustrating situation for the players with just nine minutes left to play and a result already in doubt.
The conversation [in the rooms] was, ‘Can we just end it now?’ — we obviously know that can’t happen,” he told Fox Footy.
“I can tell you now that the last nine minutes will be very changeable for both teams. There will not be much contact and we will play out the minutes.”
Melbourne great Garry Lyon added: ‘It’s unbelievable circumstances that conspire; after nine minutes the result means nothing and Melbourne can’t come back and win.’