“Cost us a flag”: Adelaide legend calls AFL to investigate disgraced former umpire following fraud allegations

Adelaide premiership star Mark Ricciuto has implored the AFL to investigate disgraced former umpire Troy Pannell following reports that he is believed to be on the run regarding fraud allegations.

News came to light that Pannell had failed to appear at a Victorian Supreme Court hearing on Tuesday, after claims he masterminded an $8.7 million fraud of his employer, logistics company SeaRoad Shipping, according to the Herald Sun.

The alleged fraud occurred between 2015 and 2024, during the contentious contest between the Crows and Western Bulldogs in a 2016 match at Docklands Stadium.

It is understood that Pannell awarded the Bulldogs 17 free kicks to one for Adelaide, resulting in a landslide 28-12 overall count as the Dogs claimed the Round 7 victory by 15 points.

Adelaide midfielder Scott Thompson was penalised six times by the umpires on the night.

A measly seven Crows players weren't awarded free kicks against, in stark comparison to the Bulldogs' 14.

"Adelaide ended up losing the game by 15 points, if you can believe it," Ricciuto said on Triple M show The Roo, Ditts & Loz 

"The Bulldogs won the flag that year. If the Bulldogs had not have won that game, they probably would have finished eighth, probably wouldn't have even advanced.

"Adelaide would have finished third on the ladder instead of fifth. We would have a double chance.

"It might have cost us a flag."

AFL GM of Football Mark Evans backed Pannell at the time, saying that although the free kicks were skewed in the Bulldogs' favour, they did not have to be equal.

Pannell laughed at the criticism of 2016 in an interview on K-Rock radio, saying there's a process of review that goes into each and every match.

"I review my own performance first and put that in, then they [the umpires' department] review it and send me through my feedback, and we discuss things," Pannell said, according to AFL Media.

"Once I've watched the game back and done my own self-assessment, I generally know if there's one or two things I can take out of it that I could have done better."

Pannell umpired 219 AFL games between 2005 and 2018.