North Adelaide coach Josh Carr says the Roosters fully deserve their spot in the SANFL grand final
NORTH Adelaide coach Josh Carr says his side’s grand final berth has not been tarnished by the debate which has raged over the club fielding a 19th man in its preliminary final triumph.
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NORTH Adelaide coach Josh Carr says his side’s grand final berth has not been tarnished by the debate which has raged over the club fielding a 19th man in its preliminary final triumph.
The league on Monday night upheld the Roosters’ victory over Woodville-West Torrens which secured a meeting with Norwood in Sunday’s premiership decider at Adelaide Oval.
Carr said North deserved to remain in the grand final, despite it being fined $10,000 and deducted four premiership points for next season.
The mentor said he was relieved at the outcome after the league’s independent tribunal deliberated over the matter for more than five hours on Monday night.
“It’s obviously been a big 24 hours for everyone involved,” Carr said.
“But is it (grand final spot) tarnished? Not from my point-of-view.
“I’m sure people on the outside will have their views whether it’s right or wrong.
“But at the end of the day, the decision has been made and we’ll go with that.
“It could’ve went the other and I would have copped that on the chin.
“I’m sure the Eagles will be disappointed that the result didn’t go their way.
“But at the same time I’m sure they’re looking at the (preliminary final) game going ‘we shouldn’t have let that lead slip’.”
North had seemingly secured its passage to its first grand final since 2013 when it pulled off a stunning five-point triumph over the Eagles on Sunday.
But it emerged soon after the match that the Roosters had fielded an illegal 19th player for the opening three minutes and 39 seconds of the final quarter.
“It (the preliminary final) was obviously an exceptional game,” Carr said.
“The way it was played and the way we came back we could’ve quite easily have been bathing in the glory of the success of the prelim final.
“But it (19th man controversy) has allowed us in some ways move on from that and focus on the grand final.
“It was something that had to be sorted out, the decision has been made and we’re rapt to be playing in the grand final.”
Norwood coach Jarrod Cotton said the matter had not been a distraction for his players ahead the grand final.
He said he had prepared since Sunday night as if his team was facing North in the decider, despite the league’s deliberations.
“I thought after the (preliminary final) game when North Adelaide won that it (the result) wouldn’t change to be honest,” Cotton said.
“The longer it went, I probably had a few doubts.
“But overall I thought North Adelaide deserved the win and should be playing in the grand final.
“I was preparing to play North Adelaide and that’s what I did yesterday in regards to looking at their team and reviewing the final that was just played.”