Despite having 19 players on the ground for over three minutes, North Adelaide’s Preliminary Final victory over Woodville-West Torrens will stand after a marathon tribunal hearing last night.
North Adelaide – coached by former Port Adelaide premiership player Josh Carr - were found to be “grossly negligent” by retired Supreme Court judge the Hon. Michael David QC, after fielding one extra player during the fourth quarter of their five-point defeat on Sunday, scoring eight points in that timeframe.
The Roosters were fined $10,000 and docked four premiership points for the 2019 season, but their place in this weekend’s Grand Final against Norwood is secured.
The Eagles squandered a 47-point lead in an extraordinary Preliminary Final encounter.
Melbourne great Garry Lyon believes the result should have been overturned.
“I think it’s an overturn,” Lyon told SEN Breakfast.
“This is the point, the rule says that the score gets taken away from the amount of time that player is on the ground.
“What if they’re kicking into a breeze and they put on a 19th man just so he can sit in the hole?”
IMAGE FROM: nafc.com.au