ST KILDA was the beneficiary of a controversial call from the AFL's score review system on Sunday, although both coaches were relatively unfazed by the incident in the Saints' thumping win over West Coast.
In the second quarter, Saints ruckman Rowan Marshall appeared to control the ball behind St Kilda's goal line, with the Eagles given the all-clear to kick in.
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But play was abruptly halted more than a minute later, with the umpire taking the ball back more than 80m to give Marshall a shot at goal, to the confusion of the crowd.
After reviewing the decision while play continued, the ARC had overruled the goal umpire.
Marshall converted his shot, kick-starting a run of four St Kilda goals.
"I didn't have a clue what was going on," Eagles coach Andrew McQualter said of the ARC call.
"We were in the game (at that time), so it was a little bit of a momentum swing, but we have much bigger problems.
"If they're going to do it, it's got to be clear cut.
"If I lose a Grand Final like that, I'll probably care a bit more, but today it's not an issue for me."
Lyon was happy the call went in St Kilda's favour, but pointed out it appeared at odds with the AFL’'s push to speed up the game.
"I will take it, but in the context of the game trying to be shortened, I'm not sure it satisfies that criteria," Lyon said.
"When people have the best intentions, I don't think we should undermine it."
In late 2023, the AFL introduced a second senior supervisor to the ARC for that year's finals series in a bid to reduce the risk of a season-defining score review error.
The move came after Adelaide's Ben Keays was denied a late go-ahead goal against Sydney after the goal umpire incorrectly signalled that the ball had hit the post, a call that ultimately cost the Crows a spot in the finals.
The second supervisor in the ARC was given the discretion to tell the field umpire to hold up play while a full score review is being conducted, regardless of whether an on-field official has called for a review.
Sunday's incident comes almost a month after the AFL said it would review its late-game processes with a view to allowing umpires to hold play if required for the ARC to intervene.
After an incorrect boundary line decision late in Adelaide's narrow round three loss at Geelong, the AFL said it "will look at its late-in-game process and the ability to potentially hold play to get the correct outcome".
That incident, however, was different to the one on Sunday, which was not late in the game and involved score review, not a query about an out of bounds play.