THE CONTROVERSIAL free kick that saw Sydney's Callum Mills pinged for a deliberate rushed behind on Friday night against the Western Bulldogs has been deemed correct by the AFL.

The Swans trailed by four points with seven minutes remaining in a pulsating Grand Final rematch when Mills knocked the ball through for a point. He was in the goalsquare at the point of impact but the closest Bulldog, Liam Picken, was a few metres away.

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Picken snapped a goal from the resultant free kick and the Dogs did not give up the lead to hold on for a memorable 23-point victory.

It was ruled the right call because Mills was under "no physical pressure" from Picken when he punched the ball over the line, according to an AFL spokesperson.

The adjudication of deliberate rushed behinds was tightened ahead of the 2017 season, which saw players disallowed from rushing behinds from further than the top of the goalsquare, or when they are not under "immediate physical pressure".

Liam Picken was the beneficiary of this deliberate rushed behind decision. #AFLDogsSwans pic.twitter.com/lCMWzddh2L — AFL (@AFL) March 31, 2017

Swans coach John Longmire was reluctant to comment when asked about the incident after the game.

"Was it a free kick or not? I don't know. Was he under pressure? I don't know. I'm the wrong person to ask," Longmire said.

Dogs coach Luke Beveridge was unsure what to make of the decision.

"We're all trying to work out what is deliberate and what isn't," Beveridge said post-game.

"Whether there's direct pressure or no direct pressure, whether it's before or within that nine metres of the [goal] square, I'm not sure which way it goes. I'm not sure if it's there or if it isn't there."