Michelangelo Rucci: SANFL’s toughest call — deciding a grand final position in the halls of power rather than on the field
NOT since 1990 has the SANFL leadership faced such a challenge. The 19th man fiasco in the preliminary final leaves the league grappling with a seemingly impossible conundrum, writes Michelangelo Rucci. VIDEO ANALYSIS
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- Waikerie’s record streak ends with headcount
WHO found it more difficult to sleep on Sunday night?
The SANFL hierarchy that has been handed the biggest headache since 1990 when there was the call to suspend eventual premier Port Adelaide for its “treachery” in seeking a VFL licence? Or 1902 when the Magpies refused to play in the SANFL finals in protest to the appointment of the field umpire.
The SANFL interchange steward who should have picked up North Adelaide had 19 players on the field at the start of the dramatic last quarter of Sunday’s preliminary final at Adelaide Oval?
The North Adelaide player who did not read the team board in coach Josh Carr’s huddle at three quarter-time when he was assigned to sit on the interchange bench?
Or Woodville-West Torrens coach Michael Godden, who again watched his Eagles melt down in a final in which they commanded a 47-point lead … and has to consider the fallout of claiming an SANFL grand final berth on default?
And then there is Norwood, the team waiting — and confused — as to who will be its opponent in Sunday’s SANFL grand final at Adelaide Oval.
The SANFL has not known such a farce since August 9, 1975 when Fred Bills played his 313th and last game for West Torrens and triggered the last 19th man crisis in the State league by rushing onto the field as teammate John Cassin was being placed on a stretcher.
West Adelaide, which was behind on the scoreboard, called for the count that never happened as field umpire Robin Bennett and his colleagues as boundary umpires struggled to keep West Torrens players on the field as Norm Dare jumped the fence and David Raggatt looked for cover behind a goal.
Ultimately, West Adelaide realised the folly of calling for the count — and the SANFL had one of its most amusing legends that grows each year.
West Adelaide would have played finals in Season 1975 had captain Bob Loveday won a point of order with the count — and taken the two premiership points to replace North Adelaide in fifth spot by percentage.
The stakes in the current controversy — a grand final berth — are more significant.
But the rules are just as clear today as they were in 1975.
Law 7.2 reads the SANFL must “determine the matter by way of fine, reversal of match result or other sanction as it deems appropriate”.
It is far too simple to say North Adelaide scored 1.2 (8) in those five minutes when it had 19 men on the field — and stripping those eight points gives Woodville-West Torrens a three-point win rather than a five-point loss. Who is to say the Roosters would not have scored those eight points with 18 men?
Not in dispute is that North Adelaide was technically cheating, even if it was by a monumental misunderstanding of what was on Carr’s team board.
Does such an illegal act merit being stripped of a grand final berth or a heavy fine? The SANFL leaders thought they had seen a great North Adelaide comeback set up the build-up for the grand final … instead they gained a painful challenge.
michelangelo.rucci@news.com.au