Sport
30 June, 2026
Close call becomes draw
A ONE-POINT win for Donald against Birchip Watchem in round seven of North Central football has been declared a drawn game after a video review.
A ONE-POINT win for Donald against Birchip Watchem in round seven of North Central football has been declared a drawn game after a video review.
It found that the official scorers had missed a behind for the Bulls in the third quarter.
League board members met to consider a letter of complaint from Birchip Watchem and agreed to adjust the result after the video was viewed, with the scores and ladder updated last Thursday.
Donald stormed home in the last quarter with four goals straight to the Bulls 1.1 for what appeared to be a stunning onepoint win.
Ironically, the Royal Blues’ scorecard had what proved to be the correct result – a draw – while the Birchip Watchem card had the Bulls losing by a point.
Confusion was compounded by the scoreboard showing a twopoint margin.
Weather conditions on the day, with heavy drizzle blanketing the ground, were blamed for the error.
League coordinator Lance Standfield said both clubs had accepted the amended result.
The draw has made a significant difference to the ladder, with Birchip Watchem now two points ahead of St Arnaud and Boort, and the Bulls’ much superior percentage effectively out of the equation.
Donald has dropped from fifth on the ladder to seventh, half a game behind the Saints and the Magpies.
Both Donald and Birchip Watchem lost on Saturday, making the race for fourth and the last place in the finals a close-run affair.
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