Opposition Leader Peter Malinauskas kicks seven goals for Adelaide Uni after hoax text almost fools two football clubs

A HOAX involving Peter Malinauskas, a mysterious text message and two bewildered football clubs almost cost one team a game — but didn’t stop the Opposition Leader from kicking seven goals.

Labor leader Peter Malinauskas, pictured in 2016, was one of many Adelaide University and Elizabeth football players fooled by a hoax text message on Saturday. Picture: Calum Robertson.

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A HOAX involving Peter Malinauskas, a mysterious text message and two bewildered football clubs almost cost one team a game — but did not stop the Opposition Leader from kicking seven goals.

Adelaide University’s C6 match against Elizabeth on Saturday almost did not go ahead after Blacks president Michael Dadds received a text, claiming to be from Eagles D-grade coach Adam Duncan, saying the northern club needed to forfeit due to a lack of players.

A hoax text message sent to Adelaide University FC president Michael Dadds from a person purporting to be Elizabeth D grade coach Adam Duncan. Supplied.

Uni officials told its team, affectionately known as “the Scum”, there was no game and posted the news on Facebook.

But Elizabeth and Duncan caught wind of the puzzling situation then informed the Blacks they knew nothing about the text and the match was still on.

Adelaide Uni managed to scrounge together a team, including Labor leader and “Scum” regular Malinauskas, just a couple of hours before the first bounce and went on to prevail 11.9 (75) to 3.7 (25) at Park 10.

Malinauskas booted a game-high seven goals and was named the Blacks’ third-best.

“When you’re playing very, very low-grade footy you come to expect the unexpected,” Malinauskas said.

“When I can fit it in, playing footy is a great release, so I was glad the claim of a forfeit was a hoax — particularly considering we got the win.”

Duncan was at a loss why someone would send the hoax text.

“Our A-grade coach (David Rogers) called me and asked what was going on and why we were forfeiting,” Duncan said.

Opposition Leader Peter Malinauskas celebrates kicking a goal for the Blacks in a match in 2016. Picture: Calum Robertson.

“But I said ‘hell no, we’re ready to go’.

“Uni showed me the message at the game and it looked like a real amateur job — there were full stops, no capitals, stuff like that.

“Plus they wrote “division six” when we play in C6.

“Someone is trying to stir something up by the looks of it.”

Uni football director Adrian Howard said his club “went into scramble mode to re-engage the team and get them there on time”.

“Quite a few brownie points were spent on partners who were told they had the day off only to be let down a few hours later, including the very understanding wife of the Opposition Leader,” Howard said.

“ (Malinauskas) kicked seven goals then rushed home to babysit while wife Bel got some time out with friends.”

The Advertiser and Elizabeth football officials tried contacting the mystery number but had no response.