Bizarre games from history - Result overturned on protest (Geelong v St Kilda, 1909)
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June 5, 1909 (Round 6) Geelong 6.12 (48) d St Kilda 6.13 (49) Corio Oval, Geelong
In the 120 seasons of the VFL/AFL, only two results have been changed and a result of a protest. One of them was the famed Sirengate game in 2006, and the other one was a little-known game between Geelong and St Kilda, nearly a century earlier. St Kilda won the game, but lost the points a week later.
This match is different, though, to Sirengate. In that game, the final behind was scrubbed off the scoreboard, changing the result from a draw to a Fremantle victory. This game was incontestably a St Kilda win on the field, but a protest from Geelong led to the four points being awarded to the Pivotonians.
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Heading into this match, Geelong was tenth, with just one win from the first five games. St Kilda sat ninth, also with one win, but superior percentage. At Corio Oval, the game was filled with “intense excitement” before St Kilda “snapped the victory on the call of time” to win by a point.
Geelong was bitter at the result, but they saw something that could lead to them gaining four much-needed points. Billy Stewart had played for St Kilda on the day, but had played in a match under the watch of the Bendigo association earlier that week. Crucially to Geelong’s argument, he had been suspended for striking, which left him ineligible to play.
The Argus of Thursday, June 10, said:
"In the match, Geelong v. St. Kilda, last Saturday, the St. Kilda club played W. Stewart, who had, it is alleged, been disqualified by the Bendigo association. The St. Kilda club won the match by one point, and Geelong has lodged a protest on the ground that Stewart was not eligible to play. The matter will be dealt with to-morrow evening."
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The investigation committee of the Victorian Football League had a meeting on the Friday evening, one that, had it happened today, would surely have been broadcast live on Fox Footy. Geelong argued that Stewart had been suspended by the Bendigo Football Association for a period of one week for striking in an Eaglehawk v Bendigo game held on June 3, barring him from playing until the 10th of June.
St Kilda’s claim why the match should not be overturned was that news of the suspension was not received until June 6, the day after the match. Their stance was the suspension was valid for a week after June 6, thus proving that Stewart was free to play against Geelong. (Interestingly, St Kilda played Stewart in their round seven game against Fitzroy, which was held on the King’s Birthday Monday, meaning the suspension was valid, and they had played an ineligible player in that game, too. They lost by 41 points, though.)
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The Argus of the day said that “Prior to the match at Geelong, Mr. E. L. Jones, the St. Kilda delegate, asked if Geelong would object to Stewart Playing. Mr. Brownlow [yes, the Charles Brownlow], the Geelong secretary, said “If you play Stewart, you do so at your own risk.” After a long discussion, the committee found in favour of Geelong, and awarded them the four points, making St Kilda the only team in VFL/AFL history to be stripped of points.
All in all, the overturning of the result didn’t change the scheme of things much. Geelong finished the season ninth with 12 points and St Kilda last with eight. Apart from changing which team won the wooden spoon, this game meant nothing, and could be resigned to the annals of curious history.
Match details
1st | 2nd | 3rd | FULL TIME | |
Geelong | 3.3 | 5.7 | 5.7 | 6.12 (48) |
St Kilda | 2.0 | 2.4 | 4.12 | 6.13 (49) |
GOALS
Geelong: James 3, Eason 2, Beard
St Kilda: Ritchie 2, Brown, Clark, Ellin, Barwick
TEAMS
Geelong: L. Armstrong, L. Batty, D. Beard, A. Boyd, C. Cameron, B. Eason, G. Dick, L. James, B. Miller, F. Moran, E. Newling, B. Orchard, T. Rankin, P. Salmon, P. Scown, B. Whittington, B. Wilton, H. Young.
St Kilda: H. Bant, V. Barwick, J. Brown, A. Caldwell, H. Clarke, C. Clymo, G. Dangerfield, P. Ellin, W. Gant, H. Lever, L. McDonald, D. McNamara, G. Morrisey, B. Pearce, J. Reilly, J. Richie, W. Stewart, B. Woodcock.
UMPIRE: Elder
For match details, click here.
Footnotes
Article sources: Sunday Times, 6 June 1909, p2; The Argus, 10 June 1909, p7; The Argus, 12 June 1909, p17.
Comments
Smokie Bear 11 September 2016
There is another match and it involves St.Kilda again. St.Kilda v Melbourne, Junction Oval. Round 1, 1900
St Kilda finally avoided defeat for the first time in 48 games when they seemingly held Melbourne to a draw, but over a week later they were handed their first VFL victory on protest when it was decided that the umpire had not signalled the end of the third quarter correctly after the bell, and that a Melbourne point paid to Wardill shouldn't have been counted. Melbourne's delegate sportingly agreed with their version of events and his club became the first to lose to the VFL's easybeats. The Australasian - 12/05/1900
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