The AFL admits its timekeepers made an embarrassing and unacceptable mistake which wiped several seconds off the clock late in St Kilda's nail-biting win over Richmond.

Richmond coach Terry Wallace angrily demanded answers from the league over the incident after the Saints won 17.8 (110) to 16.11 (107) at Telstra Dome on Saturday night.

With the Tigers trailing by four points, Richmond's Kelvin Moore hit the post with a set shot from 30m with about a minute to play.

The resultant Saints' kick-in was initially called back and had to be retaken, but the time clock was allowed to run while that was happening, Wallace believing about 14 seconds was lost.

Richmond then won the ball in midfield and worked it back to youngster Jack Riewoldt, who had a set shot from just outside 50m after the siren, which failed to make the distance.

AFL football operations manager Adrian Anderson conceded the time was lost as a result of human error, with the two timekeepers failing to notice the umpire's signal to stop the clock.

"We've spoken to the timekeepers involved and they're unable to explain it other than obviously being very apologetic," Anderson told Melbourne radio 3AW.

"They are unable to explain how they made this mistake.

"They've got a good viewing position, particularly at the MCG and Telstra Dome and when the umpire calls time-on they stop the clock and it didn't happen in this case."

Wallace said on Saturday night the AFL needed to be held to account, given fines were regularly dished out to clubs over various infringements.

"We are playing a super-professional sport here, it cannot be making mistakes like that," Wallace said.

"Can we have a fining system? Can we go to the AFL and fine them if they want to fine us?

"We've probably had someone step over the line or do the wrong thing on the interchange and we'll get slapped with a please explain why.

"Well, who explains to us?"

Anderson said he could fully understand Wallace's anger.

"We share that frustration and we have to work via the umpiring department to make sure everything's done to make sure it doesn't happen again," he said.

"From time to time we are going to have human error, but we certainly want to minimise that and as far as we're concerned an error has happened which is unacceptable and we're as frustrated as anybody about it."

Anderson said the timekeepers responsible would be dealt with by the umpiring department, which oversees their role, and would have harmed their chances of selection for future matches.

"We just have to make sure via the umpiring department we make sure we've got the right people in those roles," he said.

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