Commission to decide Dockers game result
Fremantle's hopes of being awarded the AFL victory it was denied by Aurora Stadium's soft siren were dealt a significant blow by the game's three field umpires.
The AFL on Monday announced a final decision on the result of Sunday's controversial match against St Kilda at Launceston will be made at a special meeting of the AFL Commission on Wednesday, with the competing clubs to make submissions.
An investigation instigated by the AFL's football operations department into the continuation of play after the siren sounded was completed on Monday, with the findings to be passed on to the commission.
Hurting the Dockers' chances of being awarded the four points, the three umpires - Hayden Kennedy, Mathew Nicholls and Michael Vozzo - all told the investigators they did not hear the siren when it initially sounded.
There had been conjecture Kennedy had heard the siren and attempted to alert Nicholls, who was controlling play at the time.
AFL rules state that a match does not end until the controlling umpire hears the siren.
St Kilda scored a behind to draw the match in the time between the siren sounding and Nicholls eventually signalling the end of the match.
But the Dockers were left with a glimmer of hope when the game's timekeeper admitted he had erred by failing to follow the AFL law which states he must continue sounding the siren until it is heard.
"This is a very disappointing situation for the AFL to find itself in," AFL football operations manager Adrian Anderson said.
"There's been a serious error, which has thrown into doubt the result of the match.
"We have to take stock now and act appropriately in accordance with the AFL rules and ensure that this matter is appropriately determined from hereon in."
Anderson said the commission was the correct body, under AFL rules, to determine the outcome of disputes relating to the laws of the game.
"The outcome of the match and the allocation of the points is something that will be finalised by the commission after it conducts a hearing on Wednesday," he said.
Fremantle president Rick Hart and chief executive Cameron Schwab will attend Wednesday's meeting, along with a legal representative.
Schwab was hopeful the Dockers would end up with the four points.
"I think (the AFL) understand, and anyone who saw the game and watched the game, had anything to do with the game, knows that Fremantle deserved to win it," Schwab said.
"We have just had a super important win in the context of this season, but also in the context of our history, which we feel at this stage we have not got the just deserts (for)."
The club is pinning its hopes on AFL regulation 10.4.1, which states "the timekeepers shall sound the siren to signal the end of a quarter until a field umpire acknowledges that the siren has been heard and brings play to an end".
Schwab said that clearly did not happen.
"A number of errors have all conspired, the end result being the team which won didn't get the four points," Schwab said.
Fremantle captain Peter Bell said the players were left with a very hollow feeling after the match.
"When you play a draw at any time in your footy career it's always a hollow feeling," he said.
"Not knowing whether you won or whether you lost it was a strange feeling, but it's one of the things that AFL football throws up at you."
The Dockers have left open the option of legal action if the AFL does not award them the victory.
But president of the Australia and New Zealand Sports Law Association, Simon Rofe, said they would have very little chance in the courts.
"The courts have shown in nearly every decision a huge reluctance to get involved in the rules of sport," Rofe said.
Several major betting agencies decided to pay out on both a Fremantle win and a draw, as a show of good faith to punters.
St Kilda is adamant that the result of the match should not be changed.
Saints president Rod Butterss, chief executive Jim Watts and a legal representative will also attend Wednesday's meeting.
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