Hurson has been appointed to take charge of a second final in three years when Galway play Armagh on Sunday week.
The awarding of the free against John Daly, at a time when Galway and Kerry were locked on 0-16 each, was controversial. David Clifford converted for Kerry and they scored the next three points. Galwayy didn’t score again.
Daly was in possession but was adjudged by the Tyrone official to have grabbed Killian Spillane’s arm as he came out of defence.
Joyce said he wasn’t surprised by the decision to appoint Hurson who he described as a “top, top referee.” But he said he hadn’t seen a free awarded like it since.
“I always say you can control everything bar the weather and the referee. I haven’t seen a free given since that for that type of a free,” said Joyce at Galway’s All-Ireland final media briefing in Salthill.
“I don’t know, I don’t think it cost us the game two years ago. I’ve said that before. I think it just changed the momentum for us in that particular game.
“We have had Sean referee matches for us (most recently the All-Ireland quarter-final win over Dublin), I think this is his third or fourth game this year. He is a top, top referee. I can see why he got the final.”
Hurson’s umpires will be Martin Coney and Cathal Forbes, both from Ardboe O’Donovan Rossa, Mel Taggart from Clonoe O’Rahilly’s and Shane Dorrity from Coalisland Na Fianna.
His line umpires will be Kildare’s Brendan Cawley and Roscommon’s Paddy Neilan. Cawley will be the standby referee and Tipperary’s Derek O’Mahoney is the sideline official.
Meanwhile Joyce expects his captain Sean Kelly to play a role against Armagh. Kelly came off against Dublin and missed the semi-final win over Donegal.
“Sean trained on Tuesday night,” said Joyce. “He probably wasn’t fully ready the last day so we are hoping to get another two weeks into him and we will check him out. Hopefully, he will be available for some sort of time anyway.”
Galway report no other injuries with just Cian Hernon missing, having broken a wrist at training prior to the Donegal game.
“The boys that came off, the nature of Shane’s injury is that he could not stay any longer and we took him off to give him a bit of rest.
“He needs to put a bit of work in now for a bit of rehab for the next two weeks and if we get as much out of him again in two weeks time we will be happy enough. Damien (Comer) is the same.”
