AFL says NEAFL Grand Final 19-man controversy won’t happen in AFL preliminary finals
The NEAFL grand final finished in controversy when umpires called for a player count just a minute into the final quarter and found the Sharks to have one extra player on the ground.
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THE AFL says the situation where NEAFL premiers the Southport Sharks had 19 men on the field against the Sydney Swans reserves won’t happen in this weekend’s preliminary finals because of the increased number of officials at the top level.
The NEAFL grand final finished in massive controversy when umpires called for a player count just a minute into the final quarter and found the Sharks to have one extra player on the ground.
At the time Southport were leading by 60 points but the infraction could have wiped their entire score and seen then trail the Swans by 16 points.
The game continued but confusion ensued as NEAFL officials went to the rule book to make a call on the issue.
Most of the last quarter was played without either team knowing if the Sharks score would stand or be taken away. It wasn’t until the closing minutes that word filtered through Southport’s 14.6.90 would remain intact.
The AFL said the game wouldn’t have started at the highest level with 19 on the ground because it would have been identified by better resourced officials.
“We have greater resources at an AFL game compared to all other levels of football below us,” AFL spokesman Patrick Keane told The Daily Telegraph.
The loss leaves the Swans reserves winless in NEAFL grand finals after five attempts.
The SANFL preliminary final had an even more sensational finish when North Adelaide had 19 men on the field in their five-point win over Woodville-West Torrens.
Unlike the NEAFL scenario North had an extra man on the field for more than four minutes and kicked 1.2 in that time.
A special league tribunal will sit to determine the outcome of the match and who goes through to the grand final.
Originally published as AFL says NEAFL Grand Final 19-man controversy won’t happen in AFL preliminary finals
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