League launches probe
8:03:26 PM Sun 30 April, 2006
Paul Gough
http://AFL.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&s ... eid=261793
The AFL has launched an official investigation into the controversial finish to the St Kilda-Fremantle clash in Launceston on Sunday.
The league refused to be drawn on Sunday night into whether the official result - a draw - would stand after St Kilda kicked a behind through Steven Baker after the umpires failed to hear the final siren with the Dockers one point in front.
Fremantle launched an official protest after the game after coach Chris Connolly and chief executive Cameron Schwab stated their team should have won the game given they were leading when time officially elapsed.
However no decision on the final outcome of the match is expected now until Monday at the earliest.
"The AFL is conducting an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the end of the match in Launceston between St Kilda and Fremantle, following a complaint received by the Fremantle Football Club after the match," AFL football operations manager Adrian Anderson said in a released statement from the league on Sunday night.
The AFL refused to discuss any of the details of the controversial finish, following a meeting between league heavyweights on Sunday night, only adding to its statement that 'there will be no further update from the AFL this evening'.
The drama unfolded when the siren - which was quiet throughout the course of the match - was not heard by field umpire Matthew Nicholls with the Saints trailing by one point but deep in attack.
The Dockers players heard the siren with Byron Schammer clearly seen telling the umpire the siren had sounded and that Fremantle had won the game as the umpire prepared to re-start play, having called for a bounce.
Play then continued for about 15 seconds as Fremantle players surrounded the umpires telling them the game was over.
As play continued the Saints then won the clearance with the ball ending in the hands of Baker, whose shot at goal missed but levelled the scores.
Incredibly as chaos ensued with Fremantle coach Connolly and key officials already on the ground protesting, Baker was offered another kick having been bumped illegally after his shot at goal.
His initial behind was cancelled, with the Dockers thinking they had been awarded the match as a result, but Baker had another shot and missed again with the game being declared a draw at 94 points apiece, denying the Dockers what would have been their first ever win in Tasmania.
Under AFL rules a game or a quarter is not declared over until the umpire has heard the siren and signalled the end of the game or quarter.
In the past this had led to countless debates about whether certain goals should have been awarded from marks taken right on the siren at quarter, half and three-quarter-time, given that often those marks have been taken after the siren has sounded but before the umpire could signal the end the quarter.
However it is rare for play to continue after the final siren has sounded and for the outcome of a match to be changed as a result as the siren is supposed to continue sounding until the umpires hear it.
The last time this occurred was in the 1980 night grand final when Kerry Good kicked the winning goal for North Melbourne against Collingwood to give the Roos' a three-point win when the umpires failed to hear the final siren when Malcolm Blight had the ball in the middle of Waverley Park - just before he kicked it to the leading Good with Collingwood in front by three points.
The result of that game stood but
there is a precedent for the result of a league game to be overturned on appeal but it happened more than a century ago and ironically also involved St Kilda.
It was in the opening round of 1900 and St Kilda was awarded a victory over Melbourne on protest - their first ever win in the competition having lost every match in their first three seasons - after the game had initially been declared a draw.
The league awarded the game to the Saints some six days later after ruling that the field umpire had wrongly allowed a mark to be paid to Melbourne's captain after the final siren, from which a behind was scored making the game a draw - with the league instead ruling the behind should be cancelled with the Saints awarded a one-point win.
Absolutely pathetic. Hopefully Freo is rightfully awarded the 4pts. 
