RichLeMonde
Club Legend
Just rewatched. Maynard initially takes one step that is diagonal to the incoming ball - ie both forward but also left towards Rioli. He gets himself half a step in front of Rioli by doing this. From that point he moves (or attempts to move) only in the line of the incoming ball. Rioli has Maynard to his right and half a step in front of him. He moves forward, wraps his arms around Maynard while the ball's 15m away in the air, and stops him from running to the contest, while making no attempt to get to the actual ball drop himself. One of the more blatant blocks I've ever seen.Yes, a former premiership coach for Collingwood thought that a Collingwood player deserved the free. Shocking. Watch it again, Maynard instead of running the angle to where the ball was going to drop he went straight to Rioli and engaged him, Sheed dropping in front. Rioli never took his eyes off the ball. What's Rioli supposed to do, let himself get bowled over? That's ridiculous and you know it.
And it wasn't just Lethal. It was every. single. commentator (Lyon, Watson, Robbo, the whole cast of the Fairfax Real Footy podcast etc).