With less than eight minutes left and West Coast down by six points, Darling won the free kick for a hold against Bulldogs tagger Liam Picken, sparking outrage among Bulldogs fans.
Darling converted the resulting set shot for goal, and the Eagles went on to win by eight points.
"People will argue that there wasn't enough of a hold, but when we start tossing and turning which holds we pay and which ones we don't pay, we get into all sorts of trouble," Gieschen said on his weekly afl.com.au show 'What's Your Decision?' on Tuesday night.
"Liam grabbed Darling's hand or wrist area and virtually dragged him to the ground, so the umpire saw that and he's obliged to pay it as a holding the man free kick.
"A hold's a hold."
However, Gieschen did concede that Collingwood forward Travis Cloke should have received a free after being crashed into at a marking contest by Essendon's David Myers early in the blockbuster MCG clash on Sunday.
"This is a clear case of front-on contact in a marking situation," Gieschen said of the incident.
"Cloke is out on the lead, and Myers comes from the front and just jumps into him.
"It's a clear and obvious error by the umpire. He should have paid a free kick to Cloke straight away."
Watch 'What's Your Decision?' for freeze-frame vision of both decisions, plus Gieschen's verdict on:
* Holding the ball decisions against West Coast's Adam Selwood and Geelong's Mathew Stokes
* Deliberate out of bounds' against Gold Coast's Nathan Bock and Carlton's Jeremy Laidler
