AFL Barwon says it’s “satisfied” that the final quarter of Saturday’s GFNL clash between Bell Park and Colac met the competition’s timing requirements.
However, it concedes that the umpires made a mistake by allowing an injured Bell Park player to leave the field outside the designated interchange area and later return to the field of play.
It follows the Tigers’ request for an explanation from the local governing body.
The Dragons claimed a one-point victory to remain in fifth spot, two points clear of South Barwon, and denied the Tigers the chance to snatch top spot.
There was confusion at the final siren when the siren sounded at the 25:36 mark, only five minutes after the siren was wrongly sounded.
Colac players and coaching staff questioned the length of the quarter, which, despite only featuring two goals until veteran Joffy Simpkin converted a free kick on the final siren, had stoppages for a yellow card and a blood rule.
It resulted in the unusual scene where field umpire Norm Douglas headed to the timekeepers’ box to double-check.
Dragons forward Mitch Mahady was given permission by an umpire to leave the playing surface after suffering a shoulder injury during the second quarter.
However, under the Laws of Australian Football, only a player stretchered from the field can leave the field without going through the interchange area.
Mahady was also given permission by the umpire to return to the field of play in the third quarter.
That should have resulted in an interchange breach against Bell Park, in which Colac should have received a free kick and a 50m penalty from the location of the ball at the time Mahady returned to the ground.
“The permission for the player to leave the field outside the interchange gates should not have occurred,” AFL Barwon said in a statement.
“The Umpire Department has addressed the matter by counselling the umpires involved, delivering refresher education to all development and senior field umpires, and communicating directly with the Colac Football Netball Club.
“AFL Barwon is committed to ongoing support, education, and development of the AFL Barwon umpiring group to minimise the likelihood of similar incidents occurring in the future.
“All clubs will be reminded of the rules and processes regarding injured players leaving the field to ensure consistent application across all football competitions.”
Colac has been contacted for comment.
X: @krockfootball
