AFL confirms video review change after Crows debacle

Adelaide were shattered when a wrongly discounted late goal against Sydney ended their finals hopes. (Matt Turner/AAP PHOTOS)

Gillon McLachlan has confirmed details of a change to the video review system as the AFL tries to avoid a finals repeat of the Adelaide debacle.

The AFL chief executive said on Friday an extra supervisor would work in the league's video review centre, known as ARC, throughout the finals series.

That person will have direct communication with the field umpires and be able to call for a hold in play if an incident needs to be reviewed.

The decision follows last Saturday night's dramatic end to the Crows-Sydney game, when Adelaide player Ben Keays' late effort was signalled as hitting the post but replays showed it clearly was a goal.

There was no review and Sydney won the match by a point, putting the Crows out of finals contention.

"We've reviewed it from every different angle - there will be a change, a second supervisor put in the ARC to have a direct line of communication with the umpire," McLachlan told 3AW.

McLachlan noted Sydney player Jake Lloyd, who was under the goal post when the ball went through, and controlling field umpire Brett Rosebury thought it hit the post.

"(But) it was a clear mistake, it would have been overturned on review," McLachlan said.

He added the newly installed supervisor would need to act quickly if they felt the need to initiate a review of an incident.

"There are a lot of decisions want to be made. People don't want the game slowing down and that's the discretion that needs to be used at the right time - that's the difficulty of it," McLachlan said.

"There is decision-making to be made at all times, which is not related to technology or systems. That's what has played out here

"People don't like the game being held up generally. It allows (players) to set up and it changes the flow of the game."

McLachlan said the goal umpire, who has been stood down for the rest of the season, was "mortified" about the error.

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