St Kilda came agonisingly close to knocking off Sydney in the most unlikely of upsets, falling by just two points after leading for 85 per cent of the contest.

However, David King and Kane Cornes have identified two different umpiring decisions that could have altered the result within the closing stages.

The umpiring this season has faced an incredible amount of backlash, with reviews, non-reviews, average calls and game altering decisions seemingly in the headlines each week.

This week was no different, with King first calling out a non-review despite its lineball nature.

“Darcy Wilson breaks through 50, top of the 50, and kicks the ball to goal,” King told SEN Fireball.

“It is touched on the line. Goal umpire in a perfect spot, so if this is what we are going to do, then I have no problem with it.

“We are not going to review, it’s play on. There is 2:47 on the clock, the game is an absolute lock, it’s an arm wrestle.

“I can’t believe we are not reviewing these ones. This is just a game changer.”

The AFL, led by footy boss Greg Swann, have altered the rules surrounding the review system numerous times this year.

Initially, the rule was changed to allow for reviews to be called back at any stage if an incorrect decision by the goal umpire was identified by the ARC review system.

However, after ARC pulled back play by over a minute to reward Rowan Marshall with a mark and goal against the Eagles on Anzac Day weekend, the rule was revoked, once again meaning that the ARC could no longer call back play once the ball was in motion.

In this instance, given the goal umpire called touched and Sydney advanced the ball immediately, a review was not conducted.

“I don’t know if it is reviewed upstairs and potentially called back, but we went away from that,” King said.

Kane Cornes added: “You can only do that before the ball comes in, really. It’s a quick review from the ARC. I haven’t seen the other angle; I don’t know if there even is a replay.”

King: “I don’t think they showed another angle.”

Cornes: “I think the right decision was made.”

King: “How do you know?”

Cornes: “The umpire was half a metre away, and it looks to me like it was touched. I’m backing in the umpire because he was so close.”

King: “They are in awful form, and you’re going to back it in?”

Cornes: “I’m happy for him to check it, yes. But then they get criticised for checking everything!”

Beyond the behind call, St Kilda once again found themselves on the wrong end of a tight call with just 2:20 remaining in the contest.

Up by five points, Max Hall executed a chip kick inside 50, finding the chest of Marcus Windhager who was running towards goal.

The kick looked to tread the line of 15 metres, however, given its tight nature, the umpire opted to call play on.

Had the mark been awarded, Windhager would have milked his 30 seconds, with a goal ending the game and a behind extending the margin to six points.

Looking back at the incident, both King and Cornes are convinced that the pass travelled the required 15.

“What about the kick to Windhager? Definitely 15,” Cornes said.

King: “Definitely 15.

“I went back and had a look at this. The lawn markings – there are five stripes between the goal line and the centre square.

“Not the 50, the centre square, which means to me that they are about 11 metres each.

“That kick goes exactly from the marker of the line to three quarters of the way of the next. It is over 15 for me. Then you’re running 30 seconds off the clock with a static set shot.

“You might kick it, and it is game over. It was a big call.”

Cornes: “This has definitely been an instruction. The non-15 calls, it’s gotten out of hand.

“Eye test tells you that is 15 metres. He marked it, everyone knew that he marked it, probably game over.

“Saints fans should rightly be furious about that one, because for some reason umpires are now obsessed – we saw it last week, and it changes midyear – of calling play on, not 15 metres.”

Irrespective of the umpires’ calls, the Swans charged home to win by two points in a well-fought battle at the SCG.

The result leaves the Saints a game out of the 10, while the Swans sit comfortably in second place.