LEIGH Matthews has hit out at the umpires after North Melbourne midfielder Shaun Higgins was called to play-on on Saturday night, describing the shot clock incident as "deplorable" and "stupid".

With the Kangaroos pressing late in the third term, Higgins was awarded a free kick after putting his head over the ball at ground level and colliding with Western Bulldog Jordan Roughead's legs.

Higgins took longer than 30 seconds to line up for what would have been a set shot from just inside the 50m arc on the verge of three-quarter time.

The umpire standing inside the forward 50 blew his whistle twice to give Higgins the 'hurry up' – and was heard on the broadcast saying "five (seconds)" – after he was yet to begin his set-shot routine.

The same umpire called play-on some seven seconds later – practically the same time Higgins started walking in.

Higgins was knocked off his feet by an attentive Jake Stringer, who gestured towards the umpire and chased down the star Kangaroo as he began his run-up.

The incident was identical to the one that saw Port Adelaide forward Charlie Dixon caught out after failing to begin his run-up before the 30 seconds expired during the tense final quarter against Geelong in round 10.

Matthews, a four-time premiership coach, did not mince his words when weighing in on the controversial call.

"This is deplorable. What happened with Charlie Dixon and Shaun (Higgins), it should only happen if they're total numbskulls," Matthews told Channel Seven on Sunday.

"Because what happens, you've got an umpire 40 metres away who's controlling the play and trying to tell you they're counting down the clock, and you've got an umpire five metres away saying nothing. It is just stupid. I'm serious.

"Some things annoy me – I don't care about staging, I don't care about jumper punching. Taking the ball off a player who's earned the shot at goal … and you've got an umpire five metres away who should be the one counting you down. Because 40 metres away at Eithad Stadium, you just don't hear them."

The umpire standing closest to Higgins at the edge of the centre square did not call play-on.

The 30-second countdown clock is not displayed on the scoreboard in the final two minutes of each quarter.

Higgins spoke about his lack of awareness, acknowledging he had "no idea" the umpire called play-on as he prepared to take a set shot at goal.

"I didn't hear a lot, which was the issue," Higgins said.

"Most players now are programmed to look up and check the shot clock. There was no shot clock there for me to look at given it was inside two minutes and given the 40m distance, I had no idea he called on that five (seconds).

"Stringer probably was the only one that could see the umpire call play-on and unfortunately for me, he mowed me down."

A Higgins goal would have reduced the margin to seven points at three-quarter time.

The set shot countdown clock was removed from being displayed on the scoreboard after Kangaroo Mason Wood cleverly iced the game in last year's round seven win over St Kilda by watching the seconds tick down.