A controversial umpiring decision that disallowed Hawthorn star Nick Watson's goal against St Kilda has been backed by the AFL.
Watson slotted an excellent goal from an acute angle, capping a dominant first half on Thursday night at Marvel Stadium.
But the umpire ruled that Watson had run off his line when he took the kick, meaning the score did not count because it was taken after the siren.
The AFL stood by the decision on Friday after Hawthorn said they would seek an explanation.
"The umpire, positioned directly behind the kick, correctly disallowed the score after Nick Watson moved off his line to the right and didn't kick the ball over the man on the mark," the AFL said in a statement.
