THE AFL yesterday admitted to a "below average" umpiring display during last Saturday's controversial Collingwood-St Kilda clash, conceding several critical errors had been made, and that the Magpies had come off a clear second-best.

AFL football operations manager Adrian Anderson said yesterday's lengthy review of the weekend's umpiring had concluded several errors were made during the third quarter.

"Without individualising any umpires, overall, you would say it was a below-average performance, and certainly the rub of the green went against Collingwood in terms of the mistakes that were made, but that will happen from time to time," Anderson said last night.

Field umpires Ray Chamberlain, Scott McLaren and Chris Donlon were roundly hooted. By three-quarter-time, there was a 23-12 free kick count in St Kilda's favour, Collingwood then earning 10 frees to five in the final term.

Collingwood's anger was barely concealed despite its nine-point victory, with president Eddie McGuire seething, and coach Mick Malthouse calling for an urgent review of the rules, in particular the controversial hands-in-the-back interpretation.

"There's no doubt there were some mistakes made," Anderson said. "There was a 15-minute patch in the third quarter where there were three errors in relation to marking contests."

Anderson said the review decided a shove by Fraser Gehrig on opponent Shane Wakelin, which allowed Gehrig to kick a crucial goal, should have been penalised.

He said a marking contest between Magpie Tyson Goldsack and St Kilda's Jason Blake, in which the pair approached the ball from opposite sides and a free kick was paid against Goldsack, should have been allowed. "Both players had their eyes on the ball and it was perfectly legal," Anderson said.

A mark taken by Nick Maxwell, which instead was paid as a free kick to St Kilda's Sam Gilbert, also should have been allowed. "As always in just about every game, they make some mistakes, and in that game they certainly made some errors," Anderson said.

But he said a review of the decision by a boundary umpire to call the ball out as Magpie Dale Thomas ran on to kick what may have been not only the matchwinning goal but one of the goals of the year had proved inconclusive.

Anderson rejected claims that the umpires should have shown more flexibility, taking into account the rain, which made the conditions difficult.

"There were some unwarranted free kicks paid," he said. "But they're told to pay a free kick if it is there and don't pay it if it's not, regardless of the conditions. Just like players, umpires from time to time will make mistakes. It's part and parcel of the game, and there does seem to be an unhealthy focus on it sometimes."

Anderson rebutted claims that new interpretations had reduced the element of courage, Malthouse commenting that: "The courage aspect is critical in these sort of conditions, and brave men deserve to be allowed to be brave."

"You see collisions and the courage of players going back with the flight and continually putting their bodies on the line. I just don't buy anybody saying that players aren't courageous any more," he said.

Anderson said all recent changes would be reviewed at season's end, as was standard practice. He maintained that the hands-in-the-back interpretation was working well.

"We're seeing some sensational football, and a large part of why we're seeing some sensational football is because the laws of the game committee over the last three years has made some big efforts to keep the game continuous …"