09/06/2026
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The AFL has had a rough year with the clock.
In one match, 29 seconds disappeared.
In another, 51 seconds vanished.
And in a third, 109 seconds were accidentally added.
Fortunately, none of those errors changed the result. But they did highlight something that applies to every sport, from AFL to local swimming carnivals.
Nobody talks about timing when it works.
Everyone talks about timing when it doesn’t.
The scoreboard, the clock and the timing system are often taken for granted because they’re expected to be right. Every time. But when they’re not, questions start getting asked very quickly.
Was the result fair?
Did the game run for the correct length?
Could the outcome have been different?
Accurate timing isn’t just about technology. It’s about systems, processes, backup plans and trained operators working together to protect the integrity of competition.
Because whether you’re playing AFL, swimming 50 metres, running 100 metres or crossing a cycling finish line, every athlete deserves confidence that the clock is right.
After all, the one opponent every competitor faces is time itself.
