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North Adelaide has been fined $10,000 and docked four premiership points for next season but will be allowed to play in the SANFL grand final against Norwood at the Adelaide Oval on Sunday.
Michael David QC, sitting as the SANFL tribunal, found the Roosters were "grossly negligent" in having 19 players on the field during the early stages of the fourth quarter of the preliminary final.
Earlier on Monday, the league confirmed that North Adelaide did have 19 players on the field and it's believed the extra player was on the oval for about five minutes and during that time, North Adelaide kicked a total of eight points.
The matter was then referred to the SA Football Commission, which in turn referred the decision to the tribunal.
In Sunday afternoon's game, North Adelaide beat Woodville-West Torrens by five points, 15.10 (100) to 14.11 (95).
The Eagles were up by 47 points in the third quarter before North Adelaide hit back, setting up an enthralling game.
"Their various explanations as to how this came about were unsatisfactory and confusing," Mr David said.
"However, I find the decision that they indulged in was not deliberate. It was due to negligence."
North Adelaide beat the Eagles by five points, after being down by as much as 47 points in the third quarter, and scored eight points while having the extra man on the field.
"I have looked at the video of those minutes and it is almost impossible, having looked at it on a number of occasions, to say whether that extra man affected the scoring and therefore the result."
Mr David announced his decision at the end of a five-hour hearing in which both clubs made extensive submissions on what unfolded in the game and the solution.
Until his findings, the result of the match, and just which club would play in the grand final, had been in doubt for more than 30 hours after the final siren.
"I make it clear at the outset I do not have the power to order a re-match or annul a score," he said.
His options were a fine not exceeding $10,000, loss of premiership points for next year and reversal of the result.
Mr David said he found the laws regarding a team's captain being forced to ask the umpires for a head count in this situation were "anachronistic".
"That really doesn't apply today and has been overtaken by technology because there is no doubt that there were 19 men on the field," he said.
"To me, a re-match would seem to be the most superficially appropriate penalty but I have no power to do so and would of course cause potential prejudice to the Norwood Football Club, who are waiting to play the grand final.
"Faced with this dilemma, I am of the view that if this was not deliberate the reversal of the result is too savage a penalty and the matter should be dealt with by way of fine and the loss of premiership points next year."
Mr David then issued the maximum fine available of $10,000 "because this was grossly negligent". He also by way of deterrence docked the Roosters four premiership points — the equivalent of two wins — for next season.
After hearing the findings, SANFL chief executive Jake Parkinson said the process involved in the decision was a "full and diligent one".
"We have that outcome and it's now time to start thinking about what happens on Sunday," he said.
"This has been unprecedented and that's shown out in the amount of time it's taken us to reach our decision."
He said there was no avenue for appeal for he was confident there would be no further legal action from the Eagles.
Mr Parkinson said the SANFL would review its laws and regulations regarding having extra players on the field.
The NEAFL grand final had a similar controversy on Sunday, as the decider between Southport and the Sydney Swans was stopped early in the final quarter for a head count.
Southport, who were leading by 60 points, were found to have had 19 men on the field for a 20-second period, during which no points were scored.
Southport went on to win 14.6 (90) to 5.5 (35).
NEAFL officials said in a post-match statement that the breach of the rules had "no material impact on the outcome of the game and the score should stand".
Topics: sport, sanfl, adelaide-5000, sa
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