The AFL has admitted a handpass given to Jeremy Cameron outside the boundary line during the final quarter of Geelong's defeat to Collingwood should not have been allowed.
But the league has ticked off the call to pay Cameron's mark and goal during the previous term on Friday night.
Geelong star Cameron appeared to have marked Isaac Smith's kick outside the MCG boundary line during the third quarter but was ruled in play.
Cameron then slotted a superb goal - one of his seven for the night - leaving Collingwood players and fans furious.
On Saturday, the AFL said another camera angle showed Cameron was directly above the boundary line, not outside it, when he marked the ball.
The boundary umpire was in a good position to make a decision and did not call out of bounds on the full.
"While the broadcast angle looks out of bounds, an additional angle points to Cameron taking the ball on the line and hence controlling the ball on the line," the AFL said in a statement.
"Out of bounds should be called when there is a 'clear' gap between the boundary line and ball.
"The difficulty of decisions involving the curved boundary line should not be underestimated and in this instance, we back the umpire that the correct call was made."
Cameron kicked his sixth goal from a snap shot during the fourth quarter after receiving a handball from teammate Brad Close when both players were clearly outside the boundary line.
The AFL confirmed an error by the umpire.
"Out of bounds should have been called," the league said.
Speaking post-match, Geelong coach Chris Scott said he hadn't seen the replay of Cameron's last-quarter goal.
"I actually didn't see it. People that know the game well say that it wasn't outside the boundary," Scott said.
Collingwood coach Craig McRae felt the umpires clearly got it wrong.
"We make mistakes, I make plenty," he said.