The AFL is aware that its interchange steward missed a rotation in this game - which led to its count for Hawthorn reading 75, when it should have read 76.
The league now knows that when Jack Gunston walked onto the field - which it officially acknowledged as the Hawks’ 75th rotation on the night… was actually Hawthorn’s 76th.
Hawthorn believed it still had one more interchange to use.
The AFL miscounted Hawthorn’s rotations in the first quarter at the 20 minute mark.
Four players came off. The league counted three.
The league refused to speak to Channel 7 after it was flagged on the Agenda Setters last night.
Instead, opting to release quotes from an interview with its own media platform - AFL Media.
@7AFL@7NewsMelbourne
"By the book, at this very moment a 50m penalty and an opposition free kick should have been paid (to Collingwood)... which means that Collingwood would have won by six points."
🗣️ Xander McGuire on an unpaid interchange infringement as Dylan Moore was lining up for goal against Collingwood