WE SHOULD all be glad Richmond small forward Jack Higgins received the benefit of the doubt when he kicked his jaw-dropping goal against Collingwood.

By the letter of the law, Higgins could have been pinged for a throw.

The first-year Tiger had been forced to try something completely different when he gathered the ball just inside the goal-line during the third quarter of Saturday's game at the MCG.

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As his momentum carried his body across the line, Higgins kept the ball in play with his left hand. He then scooped it slightly into the air, allowing himself just enough time to dart around the right goalpost and convert with a scissor-kick that Cristiano Ronaldo would have been proud of.

If Higgins' scoop was deemed a throw, we would have been robbed of a moment few in the MCG's crowd of 88,180 will forget anytime soon. 

In celebrating Higgins' goal, I'm not advocating umpires turn a blind eye to rules infringements for the sake of theatre. 

But it's worth remembering some of the game's most celebrated moments were only legitimised after the stars involved received the benefit of the doubt from the umpires.

Collingwood supporters swear Wayne Harmes was sitting in the grandstand when he brilliantly knocked the ball to Ken Sheldon for a crucial goal in Carlton's 1979 Grand Final triumph.

When Gary Ablett snr soared on to Gary Pert's shoulders 15 years later and clutched the ball – momentarily – with his left hand, Magpie fans quite reasonably questioned whether the Geelong superstar ever had control of the ball.

They had done so earlier, again with some justification, when Carlton great Stephen Silvagni took one of the great high-flying chest marks over Craig Starcevich in 1988.

Gary Ablett (1994) and Stephen Silvagni (1988) took two controversial grabs. Pictures: AFL Photos

Collingwood fans aren't the only ones who have long-held gripes in this area either.

Silvagni, himself, was adamant he touched Essendon icon Michael Long's goal in the 1993 Grand Final, one that was ensured a place in football folklore by the blistering four-bounce run that preceded it.

Did Silvagni touch the ball on the goal-line?

Did he and Ablett hold their marks long enough?   

Was Harmes out of bounds?

Everyone will have their opinions, but the only opinions that matter were settled long ago when the umpires made their calls.

What we're left with are some of game's most enduring plays, replays of which still send a tingle down your spine all these years later.

We can now add Higgins goal to that select list – and don't worry about whether or not it should have been disallowed because of a throw. 

As the umpires did on Saturday, give him the benefit of the doubt.

The moment is worth savouring.