Umpire at centre of controversial football moment passes away

A goal umpire who was at the centre of one of football’s most controversial moments passed away last week.

Bob Barker, who made the call that Wayne Harmes kept the ball in play on the boundary line during the 1979 VFL Grand Final, died on October 7 aged 93.

3AW Breakfast was alerted to the sad news on Friday morning, after the AFL Umpires’ Association released a touching tribute to the man who officiated 281 VFL games.

Click PLAY to hear Ross and Russ talk about their memories of the moment 

“He maintained always that the ball was not out of bounds,” Ross said on 3AW.