"You’ve got to take responsibility for your man" - AFL legend slams Izak Rankine for mistake in Adelaide Crows' loss to Essendon Bombers 

The Adelaide Crows' Izak Rankine has come under fire from AFL legend Garry Lyon following his failure to pick up defensive duties in their Friday night clash against the Essendon Bombers. The Crows suffered their fifth season loss (75-78) when they hosted the Bombers at the Adelaide Oval.

However, Rankine, who registered 12 disposals, five clearances, and six tackles in the game, has been singled out by Lyon for some constructive criticism after an incident that led to a goal for the opposition.

The Bombers had a freekick in the center of the ground, and as Rankine failed to follow up on Darcy Parish, he left the Essendon midfielder unmarked, who eventually kicked a goal.

Rankine could have prevented the goal had he stayed on Parish, but the 23-year-old jogged and then slowed to a walk before Parish's run and eventual goal.

Speaking after the game, Lyon, who played for the Melbourne Demons back in the day, didn't mince words while reacting to the incident. He said:

"The free kick is given (to Goldstein). Rankine is a midfielder that’s going to push forward, we know that. But now you’ve got to defend. So Parish is the midfielder, Rankine goes, ‘Oh well, I’ve got to defend,’ and he peels off.

“Parish continues to push, now Rankine says, ‘Well, no one’s really covering for me," he’s standing, watching.

“So Izak Rankine, all good and well, we love you going in the middle of the ground and you can be dangerous and all that. At some stage, you’ve got to take responsibility for your man and that is going to be the challenge going forward.”

The 23-year-old is primarily a small forward but was moved to midfield in their round-five AFL match against the Carlton Blues. He played a key role as the Crows picked up their first win of the season in that fixture, prompting coach Nick Matthews to reprise his midfield role versus the Bombers.

AFL admits to umpire error in Crows' loss to the Bombers

The AFL has admitted that the umpire in the Adelaide Crows-Essendon Bombers 75-78 thriller made a wrong call on Friday night.

Bombers ruckman Sam Draper committed a holding the ball in the final seconds of the tie. However, the umpire failed to call for a freekick, which could have potentially made the Crows win the game with an after-the-siren goal.

In a statement after the game, the AFL revealed that though the incident was technically a foul, the number of players surrounding Draper as he held the ball made it difficult for the umpire to see where the ball was, making it a tough call.