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“That is rubbish!”: Lyon scolds controversial ‘dissent’ call amid vital September shaping clash
SEN • July 20th, 2025 6:58 pm
Fox Footy expert and SEN Breakfast host Garry Lyon has blown up over an umpiring decision made during the second quarter of Fremantle’s must-win clash over Collingwood at the MCG.
The decision occurred as Fremantle’s Karl Worner gave away a high tackle free kick to Magpie Lachie Schultz within the forward 50, who, upon rewatching the replay of the tackle, gestured towards the scoreboard to suggest that the umpire’s decision was incorrect.
The umpire ruled the gesture as dissent, awarding a 50-metre penalty to Schultz, taking him to the goalsquare to put the Magpies two goals ahead in the second term.
Although the ruling does suggest that any gesture towards the scoreboard can result in a free kick for umpire dissent, Lyon could not believe that within such an important game in the picture of the season, the umpires would choose to award a goal for a ruling rarely paid.
“We’ll have a listen to see if that’s in fact what happened and if it is, it’s a disgrace,” Lyon said on the Fox Footy call.
“When the crackdown was on, we all looked at it and went okay, if that’s how you want to play, we’ll play by those rules.
“Don’t just let it drop off, and then pick one out arbitrarily in the middle of a massive, great game at the MCG.
“It’s just a disgrace!”
Upon watching it back during half-time, Lyon once again doubled down on what he believes was an incredibly poor decision.
“That just annoys me to no end," he said.
“If you are going to pay that, you’re paying 50 of those free kicks a weekend for the last 18 weeks.
“In Round 19, halfway through the second quarter of a Sunday game you decide that that is descent?
“That is rubbish! That’s why we lose our confidence in the umpire department.
“That is just not on! If you’re going to pay it, pay it every single time!”
Collingwood entered half time with a seven-point lead on the Dockers in a contest that could heavily shape the bottom half of the top eight.
