DocSherrin wrote:
Nah...I think Agro is referring to the fact that Sunbury defeated Sebastapol in the elimination final and then Sebastapol dobbed them in to the Leaue for playing an ineligible player and were disqualified from the finals. The result was overturned and Sebastapol were reinstated. Unfortunately - them's the rules.
Allow me to clarify.
Sunbury's best player Aaron Christensen was called up to play for Calder Cannons, meaning that Sunbury were without a bench, Sunbury called up the only available player they could find on short notice a young 15 year old from our Under 16s side, to fill in (he had played 2 games during the year). Sunbury then proceeded to beat Sebastapol by 2 goals (would have beaten them by about 6 or 7 goals if Aaron had of played.
Sebastapol then lodged a complaint with the BFL on the basis that the 15 year old replacement had only played 2 games instead of 3 games.
However the fly in the ointment is that this 3 game qualification rule only applies to Sunbury, Melton and Melton South in the Ballarat Football League as their juniors play inte RDFL, whereas all the other teams in the BFL their juniors already play in the BFL so their is no 3 game qualification criteria, and they bring their junior players up or down at the drop of the hat.
Sunbury could have brought 2 Under 18 players down from the Seniors (who are absolute guns) but we dont work that way and we give them every opportunity to shine at the highest level, unlike Sebastapol who dropped all their Under 18 players from their Reserves & Seniors team down to their Under 18 side for this game.
The Ballarat Football League actually gave Sebastopol 3 opportunities to withdraw their protest as it was frivolous and not designed to punish that eventuality, however Sebastapol would not withdraw their complaint, and BFL then disqualified Sunbury.
Disgraceful in particular given the fact that Sunbury agreed to play in their away clash strip jumper even though we were the home team because Sebastapol are too poor to be able to afford their own clash jumpers.
Also disgraceful because 10 Sunbury players played their last game of junior football without them knowing it (including Agro Jr) and their parents couldnt share that moment with them.
Remarkable that a club named Sebastapol who take their name from the battlefields of the Crimean War and where the Metal from Victoria Cross is made from the captured guns of Sebastopol should behave in such a gutless and dishonorable fashion.

Good lesson to teach. If things don't go your way, just jump up and down until they do.. Even if its at someone else's expense.