Hawthorn midfielder Isaac Smith and Melbourne co-captain Nathan Jones admit they are confused by some of the free kicks paid in the clash between the Hawks and Bulldogs on Sunday.

The umpiring has been widely questioned following the match, but the AFL has since declared that the decisions made were correct.

A particular decision to reverse a free kick for Jaeger O’Meara for a push late in the game had Smith gobsmacked.

“If I got shown vision pre-game and that was said that it was going to be a free kick then I would’ve been quite shocked,” he told The Oval Office.

“I was in camera but I didn’t actually see it on game day but I saw the vision this morning.

“I was a little bit shocked but if they’re the rules, they’re the rules and we’re going to have to play to it.

“But I don’t want to see games, especially later in the year, decided by free kicks like that.”

Jones was also confused by the umpiring in that game, arguing that a certain incident from last year may have led to stricter interpretations on the rules for the 2019 season.

“I’m a little bit confused from this,” he said.

“For me, it’s a major overcorrection.

“I think we’ve probably blinked at the fact of what happened late last season with the Gaff/ Brayshaw incident.

“Clearly, we don’t want that to be happening but I think you see that, there isn’t much in it.

“There isn’t much in it at all and open-handed, it’s more of a push or punch but if this is the way we’re going, it’s scary to see what we’ll be paying in the future and how far players can take it.

“Where is the line now? It’s a bit blurred for me to be honest.”

In Round 3, the Hawks take on the Kangaroos on Sunday while the Demons face the Bombers on Friday.

Catch The Oval Office on Channel 9 every Monday night after Footy Classified.

"WHY ARE WE OFFICIATING SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T NEED TO BE OFFICIATED?"@melbournefc's @nathan2jones responds to controversial free kicks paid in @HawthornFC's loss to @westernbulldogs.



Footy fans, has the game gone soft?#AFL #TheOvalOffice pic.twitter.com/oDWo9JFtP6 — The Oval Office (@OvalOfficeAFL) April 1, 2019

SHOCKED@HawthornFC's @Issie16 says he was "shocked" at the umpires' decision to reverse a free kick for Jaegar O'Meara's push late in the fourth quarter of the Hawks' loss to the Bulldogs.



Hawks fans, what do you think of the decision?#AFL #TheOvalOffice pic.twitter.com/oCSYAGQC92 — The Oval Office (@OvalOfficeAFL) April 1, 2019