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AFL’s new man-on-the-mark rule costs Carlton a goal against Richmond Tigers

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Mitchell WoodcockThe West Australian
VideoThe first 50 metre penalty from controversial new on the mark rule.

It hasn’t taken long for the AFL’s new man-on-the-mark rule to have an impact with Richmond being gifted a goal in the opening half of their clash with Carlton at the MCG.

In what has been the biggest talking point over the past few months, players can no longer move laterally on the mark unless they’re five metres off it, which the AFL’s powers that be hope will open up the game more and bring about quicker ball movement.

What it did bring about for the Tigers and midfielder Josh Caddy was a goal just minutes from the half-time siren.

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Caddy was awarded a 50m penalty which resulted in an easy goal after Blues midfielder Sam Petrevski-Seton was adjudged to not have moved back far enough off the mark to be able to move laterally, with the Tiger going from the right wing to within 25m of goal.

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The premiership player easily slotted the goal, his team’s fourth in a row, extending the Tigers lead which they held at 8.5 (53) to 6.6 (42) at half-time.

Channel 7 commentator and former Hawthorn captain Luke Hodge suggested Petrevski-Seton may not have heard the umpire.

“That’s the hardest thing as a player when there’s a crowd there,” Hodge said.

“We could all hear it because we’ve got the mic, but the player is 20m away from him (the umpire), he could not hear him and he thought he’d backed back enough.

Collingwood captain Scott Pendlebury was quick to jump on Twitter to blast the new rule.

“Since we can make rules changes very quickly in our game,” Pendlebury said.

“Man on the mark rule, east west movement equals 50, north south doesn’t matter. It’s about opening up 45’s. Common sense please.”

Former St Kilda coach Grant Thomas was also not too pleased.

It was the second 50m penalty to cost Carlton, with former Coleman medallist Jack Riewoldt brought right to the goalsquare after Charlie Curnow went within the 10m protected space after the forward had taken a mark just outside of the forward 50m arc.

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