Scoreboard error but umpires rule a draw

Another controversy hit district football at the weekend. This week it was a scoreboard error that could have, but fortunately didn’t, affect the outcome of a game. And it happened to be at the Mid Gippsland Football League’s match of the round and possibly match of the year to date between the top two teams Yallourn Yallourn North and Yinnar. When the final siren sounded at Yallourn North the scores on the board showed the home side victors by one behind. However, the goal umpires’ check of their cards had the result a draw with scores locked at 60 points for each side. The incident follows cases earlier in the season - two in the Ellinbank and district league and one in the MGFL - when teams have had one more player on the ground than they should have. According to the MGFL there were also scoreboard errors at Yallourn North a week earlier. Human error is always possible and clubs often find it difficult to get volunteers to work the scoreboards but ensuring the correct scores are known by coaching staff and players, especially, should be treated with higher priority than is often the case. The result at Yallourn North, the second draw in the MGFL this season, meant the Bombers maintained a one-game lead at the head of the ladder over Yinnar and Mirboo North. A couple of other results may prove decisive later in the year. Thorpdale’s 30-point win against Morwell East has consolidated its fifth position on the ladder, six premiership points ahead of Trafalgar and Morwell East. The two points Thorpdale got for its earlier draw with Mirboo North could be the difference between playing finals or not. Trafalgar has even more potholes in its road to a possible finals’ berth after it lost to Newborough on Saturday. The match was the 100th time the clubs had met and the result a reversal of their clash earlier in the year with Newborough getting home by 22 points. Coach Stuart Edwards’ four goals led Yarragon to its third win of the year to leap frog Boolarra on the ladder while Mirboo North was an easy winner over Hill End. Ellinbank and District is having a “final eight” this year and even though the play-offs are a couple of months away the top seven sides look to have sorted themselves out. Cora Lynn heads the way on 32 points, Warragul Industrials and Buln Buln have 28, then there is a bit of a gap to Garfield on 22 points and Bunyip, Nar Nar Goon and Neerim Neerim South all on 20. Koo wee rup holds down the last spot in the “eight” on 14 points, two ahead of Longwarry. Nar Nar Goon looked in danger territory until it upset Warragul Industrials 14-8 to 10-8 on Saturday in a contest in which 18 of the goals were kicked at the one end of the ground. Former AFL players Russell Robertson and Brodie Holland, “imported” to Poowong’s side on Saturday, helped the Magpies win for the second time this season. Robertson kicked five goals in the 12-8 to 10-7 win over Nilma-Darnum. Longwarry kept in touch with the “eight” but only just. The Crows prevailed by five points against Catani in a match that was close from the start. Ellinbank’s Sean Masterson (nine goals) and Tom Johnson (seven) did the bulk of the damage as the Eagles piled on 22-13 to Nyora’s 12-4. In other games Bunyip defeated Lang Lang, Chris Urie (five goals) led Neerim South to a comfortable win over Koo wee rup and Cora Lynn held an edge over Garfield all game. Only two games were played in Gippsland League to complete a split round and the first half of the home and away season. Top of the ladder Leongatha was given a third quarter fright by Morwell before pulling away in the final term while Traralgon, as expected, proved too good for Warragul.