Am I missing something with the Membrey “play on”

[terry smith rules]

Or is the worst umpiring decision ever

Talking about when Membrey took a mark just inside 50, certainly within range

He was walking back to take his kick and I thought waiting for the umpire to put him on his line, when the umpire just called play on

Never seen anything like it, normally the player wander back from the mark and the umpire will say “2 metres left” or whatever, so obviously the player is at that time off the line (so should it be play on every time)

[Trixilver]

That's just the new AFL rules screwing with the game. Now they're telling umpires that if a player walks off their line they should call play on AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

[The_Dud]

I like that, considering how strict it is for the man on the mark now, gotta give them a fighting chance

[Moods]

From memory, members went to handpass but didn’t move off his line. Was a bad call from where I was sitting

[Joffa Burns]

Agree, I thought the call was a shocker in the context however totally agree and have written before that forwards who move out three meters to improve their angle while walking back to take their shot should immediately be called play on.

Looks like now you have to communicate with the umpire you’ll be having a shot and to gather his/ her guidance and the angle.

I watched some of the Sydney game and Buddy was called play on as soon as he hit his kicking arch.

Some of the rules are ridiculous in my opinion.
Nominate the ruck man and no nomination called out and the time wasted doing this.
Just throw it up or in and if two from one team contest it award a free kick against them.

When a player is having a shot, I wonder how an opposition player camped to the side at the required distance in a sprint start position could impact the likes of Buddy by charging at him as soon as the umpire calls play on. Would at least register in their peripheral vision.