AFL boss addresses controversial Ollie Dempsey non-goal

AFL boss Greg Swann has admitted technology failed the AFL in Saturday night's elimination final.

The league has flaunted the new goal-line cameras which are supposed to provide more clarity for goal reviews, but it was an existing piece of technology which robbed the arc of more definitive evidence in a crucial decision in the last quarter.

Ollie Dempsey's volley in the goal square was soft called as a behind with the arc unable to find sufficient evidence to overrule, much to the frustration of Geelong coach Chris Scott and the Cats army.

"We were a little bit unlucky in that we did have a camera that we had last year which we had in the Gold Coast vs Fremantle game year with the (David) Swallow touched. It's supposed to follow the ball, in this instance, Bailey Smith was the one who kicked it in," Swann said on AFL 360.

"For some reason, the camera stopped on Bailey Smith. They're so much better those cameras, it would have helped make it definitive or not definitive, in the end it was too blurry."

Swann admitted he thought it was a goal live, but with the umpire's soft call being a behind and insufficient evidence on review, he indicated the right process was made to arrive at the decision.

"There's plenty of people we've talked to who say it came off his arm versus his foot, that's the debate," Swann said.

"(The goal umpire) is definitive it came off his arm and he's one of the best all year and the Arc is not definitive. If he had have called it a goal, they would have left it go as a goal," Swann said.

"If it hit the boot and the arm simultaneous, the actual rule is you have to go to the lower of the two scores if there is the doubt.

"There's enough doubt they didn't want to interfere, so they went back to the goal umpire."

Swann added that he backed the umpires making the soft call as the arc shouls exist as an "insurance policy."