Rod Austin Reflects on Controversial Missed Goal from 1984 Match

Rod Austin, a former Carlton player, reflects on a controversial moment from a match against Footscray in 1984, where he believes a missed goal decision denied the team a perfect start. During the game at Princes Park, Austin's shot from 35-40 meters was ruled a behind by the goal umpire, despite his belief that it should have counted as a goal.

Austin, affectionately known as 'Curly', recalls the good-natured booing from Carlton supporters after the miss, noting that it was the only time he faced such reaction from fans. He expressed that with today's technology, the decision would likely have been overturned, insisting that the team should have achieved 15 straight goals.

The match concluded with Carlton winning by 34 points, despite scoring more behinds than goals in the second half. Ken Hunter excelled for Carlton, scoring 8.2, while Footscray's Simon Beasley contributed 6.2. The game also marked the debut of future Carlton Hall of Famer Peter Dean, who scored two goals, and his son Harry Dean is now making a name for himself in the AFL.