FRUSTRATED Adelaide players are blaming themselves, not an umpiring error, for the Crows’ controversial one-point loss to Gold Coast.
The AFL says an umpiring mistake cost the Crows a chance to win Saturday’s thriller, an admission met with a collective shrug by Adelaide officials and players.
It’s the fourth time in Adelaide’s past 35 games the AFL has conceded an umpiring error went against the Crows in a narrow loss.
“Given that I am new, I don’t have that attachment to the previous decisions,” forward Alex Neal-Bullen told reporters on Monday.
“(Chief executive) Tim Silvers summed it up very well yesterday with the statement he made: there’s not much the AFL can do.
“Us now, as a footy team we have just got to move on.
“Our ability now is to put energy into the upcoming game because if we look too far back, you often find you drop the ball a bit.”
Silvers on Sunday said the AFL concession was of “no use or benefit” to the Crows.
The AFL admitted star Crow Izak Rankine should have been paid a mark and/or free kick in the final minutes of the Gold Coast game.
But Neal-Bullen, who left Melbourne to join the Crows this season and instantly was elected to the leadership group, said players weren’t dwelling on the umpiring blunder.
“Whenever you lose a tight game like that, it’s obviously devastating,” he said.
“We’re all competitors in the industry, being a professional athlete.
“The one thing with that, though, it wasn’t the sole moment that cost us the game.
“We have just got to continue to play the game.
“It has been a theme of our footy club this pre-season since I’ve arrived here, our ability to stay in the moment … deal with challenges.”
Adelaide players look dejected after a loss against Gold Coast during round four, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos
And the 180-gamer dismissed calls for the AFL to adopt a system similar to soccer’s video assistant referee (VAR).
“I love our game because it’s always moving,” Neal-Bullen said.
“You see the sports in other countries that are a bit stop-start.
“Any other delays, the game would be across too many hours, and you just want to continue to move with it as a player.”
