List Bizarre/unusual reasons for cancelled/suspended/abandoned games

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https://www.sportingnews.com/au/afl...well-at-the-moment/1ijpx8nfydue010jexpn4x9xmb

After five games the reserves are sitting winless on the bottom of the Kyabram and District Football and Netball League ladder with a devastatingly low percentage of 0.51, having scored just four points for the season so far while conceding 777.

It’s hard to say whether the seniors are travelling better or worse.


They have a total of 25 in the ‘points for’ column, but a massive 1196 against from their five outings at an average of 239 per game.

The last two rounds have been particularly disappointing for the Ardmona boys, conceding 49.24 (318) to Nagambie in round five, followed by 51.35 (341) to Stanhope in last week’s round six clash (they have also had a bye).

However, the Cats seniors aren’t on the bottom of the ladder!

Through an amazing, and slightly tragic, occurrence Ardmona’s round four game against Undera was called off before half-time due to a serious injury to a player that required a long wait for an ambulance to come the ground.
Because the match was abandoned early the points were shared, scores when match was abandoned Undera 9.6.60 to Ardmona 1.1.7
so Ardmona currently sits in 13th position above the winless Rushworth despite the Tigers ‘healthy’ percentage of 34.37.
 
Todman said:
https://www.sportingnews.com/au/afl...well-at-the-moment/1ijpx8nfydue010jexpn4x9xmb

After five games the reserves are sitting winless on the bottom of the Kyabram and District Football and Netball League ladder with a devastatingly low percentage of 0.51, having scored just four points for the season so far while conceding 777.

It’s hard to say whether the seniors are travelling better or worse.


They have a total of 25 in the ‘points for’ column, but a massive 1196 against from their five outings at an average of 239 per game.

The last two rounds have been particularly disappointing for the Ardmona boys, conceding 49.24 (318) to Nagambie in round five, followed by 51.35 (341) to Stanhope in last week’s round six clash (they have also had a bye).

However, the Cats seniors aren’t on the bottom of the ladder!

Through an amazing, and slightly tragic, occurrence Ardmona’s round four game against Undera was called off before half-time due to a serious injury to a player that required a long wait for an ambulance to come the ground.
Because the match was abandoned early the points were shared, scores when match was abandoned Undera 9.6.60 to Ardmona 1.1.7
so Ardmona currently sits in 13th position above the winless Rushworth despite the Tigers ‘healthy’ percentage of 34.37.
Click to expand...

There ya go. I looked at the ladder and wondered how the hell they had a draw.
 
From Western Australia's Great Northern Football League:

Forfeited Games:

Aug 17 1980: Chapman Valley v Northampton at Nabawa. Chapman Valley forfeited to protest a 10 week ban and other penalties imposed on Brian Mazzuchelli for his part in incidents at the Raffles Motel where the GNFL Country Week team had stayed. The Valley rightly felt Mazzuchelli was a scapegoat.
“It is common sense that only one player cannot be responsible, Brian has been the only one man enough to own up,” Chapman Valley president Frank Warr said.
“Our only reason for forfeiting was the victimisation of one player. There was damage to the bus (as well as the motel) but the players were only fined and received no other penalty. From that it seems the league’s judgement was poor. We not dispute what Brian has done but everyone else got of scot free.”
Mazzuchelli's suspension was later reduced to four weeks with other penalties standing but he was playing sooner than that. Chapman Valley also forfeited the Reserves.
July 24 2011: Chapman Valley v Mullewa at Nabawa. The Valley that year had some eight or nine ex-Mullewa players, several of whom had issues, mostly family related, with existing Mullewa players and supporters. The Valley was going to struggle to field a side because of that aside from concerns emotions could bubble over if they did play.

Otherwise Amended Games:

July 20 1969: Northampton v Mullewa at Northampton. Match called off halfway through 3rd qtr after Northampton's Frank Sontag badly broke a leg. Officially abandoning the game would have meant no points to Northampton but Mullewa player-coach Gary McCormack agreed to concede. Norths led 10.12 (72) to 3.6 (24) at the time.
July 3 2010: Rovers v Mullewa at Mullewa. Match forfeited late in second term by Rovers coach Anthony Dann in protest at what he felt was unduly rough and dangerous play by Mullewa. Dann was later suspended by the GNFL and Rovers were forced to replace him as coach. Mullewa led 6.9 (45) to 1.5 (11) at the time.
June 11 2016: Brigades v Town at Eadon-Clarke. When the 4th qtr started Towns led 11.5 (71) to 5.8 (38). Within 30 seconds, Brigades captain Leith Teakle called for a count and it was found Sheldon Nelly had been on-field and Towns started the term with an extra man. The GNFL Tribunal later scrubbed Towns' score to that point and the official score read 13.13 (91) to 2.1 (13) in favour of Brigades.
Aug 13 2016: Chapman Valley v Northampton at Northampton. Early in the 4th qtr CV led Nor 11.12 (78) to 10.6 (66) then CV captain Paul Sorensen called for a count and it was found an extra Northampton player was on-field. The umpires scrubbed North's score and CV eventually won 17.13 (115) to 1.4 (10).
 

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The round 19, 1948 game between South Melbourne and Geelong was delayed for more than five minutes as the time keepers were unable to get into their box. The key had been mislaid and the commencement of the game was delayed while other means of entry were employed.
 
A match from August 18, 1951 in the Mid Murray League:

Boga.PNG

On August 24, 1951, an investigative committee decided to deprive Lake Boga of all premiership points because of the walk off. This decision cost Lake Boga its place in the final four.
 
worbod said:
A match from August 18, 1951 in the Mid Murray League:

View attachment 559877

On August 24, 1951, an investigative committee decided to deprive Lake Boga of all premiership points because of the walk off. This decision cost Lake Boga its place in the final four.
Click to expand...

Only part of the story, stripped of its points Lake Boga appealed to the VFL. The VFL originally tried to buckpass so the 1st Semi Final took place between clubs 4 and 5. Fortunately 4th won because the following week the VFL was forced to act and sided with Lake Boga and reinstated points. Lake Boga finished first. The 1st Semi was replayed between 3 and 4 and and the 2nd semi 1 played 2.
Eventually Lake Boga defeated Lalbert by 26 points in the Granny.
 
emuboy said:
I read once that VFA club Melbourne City, infamous for not winning a game during its short-lived tenure in 1912-1913, once forfeited a game at half time due to inclement weather, but I don't know the opponent.
Click to expand...
35Daicos said:
Brighton was the opponent. They led 5.11 (41) to Melbourne City 2.2 (14) in the 1913 Rd. 6 clash:- http://www.thegapchessclub.org.au/vfa/ww/1913.htm

* MATCH ABANDONED 1/2 TIME
MELBOURNE CITY RETIRED ON ACCOUNT OF BAD CONDITIONS
MATCH AWARDED TO BRIGHTON
Click to expand...
upload_2018-9-22_21-3-40.png
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/10787536 (2 June 1913)
 
Death of a soldier.

For those of you who take the time to travel through the town of my birth, Camperdown in Victoria take the time to stop and pull up just west of the famous clocktower. To the west is a statute to a fallen soldier, Trooper Lawrence who fell in the Boer War. Trooper Lawrence was killed in action in August 1901 and the town wanted to mourn its fallen son.

The Corangamite FA consisted of four teams,in order of finish, Camperdown (undefeated), Cobden, Mortlake and Terang. Now because of poor receipts, the delegates wanted a grand Final to cover the outstanding costs incurred that season. Camperdown who were undefeated voted against the proposal but were overruled by the other three clubs who were all in the red. A Grand Final was organised between Camperdown and Mortlake, because Cobden had already wound up for the year.

News came through that Trooper Lawrence had been killed in South Africa and the town of Camperdown wanted to have a memorial service for a favourite son on the same day as the grand final. Camperdown asked for a postponement of the match but Mortlake refused. A team from Mortlake turned up on the day and claimed a forfeit. As Mortlake already had the trophy because they won it the previous year and kept it for good.

A pissed off Camperdown refused to play Mortlake the following year, in fact they joined a Colac based competition.

The Corangamite FA eventually reformed in 1906.
 
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An inter-league game almost ended early because the players weren't entirely familiar with the new siren.

In the final quarter of the Ovens & Murray FL vs Murray FL inter-league game on June 10, 1955, one of the Ovens & Murray players was knocked unconscious and the ambulance was called.

A siren can be heard, and everybody on the field, even the umpires, think that that's the end of the game, so they all walk off and allow the player to be attended to.

They had to be turned back after being told that there were still 11 minutes left, and that the "siren" came from the ambulance that had just arrived.

The rest of the game was played out and the Ovens & Murray FL won 15.20 to 10.8
 
Another game from Tasmania

Tas1.PNG

EDIT: I think the print has come out too small and out of focus so I am typing out the article manually.


July 18, 1908 saw the wildest melee ever staged at a football match on the coast. Trouble began midway through the last quarter after a tough three quarters, at the end of which Mersey led 5.13.43 to 3.4.22. Tempers flared when Mersey player Gibbens clashed with Ulverstone's A.W. "Nipper" Devlin.
Angry players converged and an all-in brawl developed. Supporters tore pickets from the fence and joined in.
Despite the efforts of five police and the umpire, the crowd could not be cleared off the ground, so the umpire walked off and abandoned the game.
The Mersey team and supporters left by rail under a shower of stones.
Civil and tribunal action followed - E. Williams (Ulverstone) was suspended for life for "cowardly play".
A. W. Devlin (Ulverstone) was disqualified for 12 months for "unduly rough play".
Harry McDonald, who played 346 games for Ulverstone, was disqualified until the end of May 1909 for striking Gibbens.
Jack McDonough was disqualified for the rest of the season for striking and C. Smith fined ten shillings in court.
None of those disqualified ever served their sentences, because in 1909 Latrobe, Ulverstone and Penguin broke away to form the NWFL, which lasted only one season before the NWFU was formed in 1910.
 
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Launceston vs Cannanore, 1913, The Dummy Spit Non Game

Launceston, the Northern premier, caused a sensation when it refused to take the field in the State Premiership match against Southern premier Cannanore, because of a dispute over the central umpire engaged for the match.
Cannanore was awarded the match on forfeit and Launceston was disqualified by the League, a disqualification which was not lifted until midway through the 1914 season.
 
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Fizzler said:
I believe Port Adelaide did something like that in the SAFA in the early 1900s.
SgtSchulz RussellEbertHandball either of you know?
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Yep 1902 Port finished the season top of the table and refused to play the semi final against 3rd placed South Adelaide because they didn't like the umpire. You need to understand the history of finals formats to understand why Port pulled this stunt and thought they could get away with it.

They were the days that if you were the minor premiers and lost the "grand final" or were knocked out in the semi final you could challenge the grand final winner - ie the challenge finals system. It happened all over Oz and some of those flags won in the VFL before 1931, when the Page McIntyre system came in, came from challenge finals. At the end of 1930 The Australian National Football Council introduce the Page McIntyre system to all its major state league affiliates to commence in 1931.

Page McIntyre system has 3 v 4 play in the first semi the loser is knocked out and 1 v 2 in the second semi, winner goes to the grand final and the loser plays in the preliminary final against winner of 3 v 4 and then the winner of the preliminary final plays in the GF.

Before 1931 the semi finals were 1 v 3 and 2 v 4. The two winners played in the GF. If 1st place won their semi and the GF then that was the season over. There were no "preliminary final." The record books only show 2 finals and a grand final. That happened in the VFL in 1927 (and other seasons).

1927 Semi Final Collingwood 1st beat Geelong 3rd and the other Semi Final Richmond 2nd beat Carlton 4th. Collingwood beat Richmond in the Final and won the flag.

So its just like tennis, ie you have 2 semi finals and a final. Its always the Australian Open or Wimbeldon Final not the Grand Final. Its why Mason Cox doesn't get the concept of Preliminary Final especially when 4 teams play in a preliminary final in an 8 team finals system and not 2 when the finals were for 4, 5 or 6 teams.

Before 1931 there was no concept of Preliminary Final or Grand Final it was Semi Finals x 2 + a Final and if the minor premiers lost a semi final or final they then challenged and that was called the Challenge Final.

So the concept was to get a double chance for the minor premiers and then the Page McIntrye system also allowed for a double chance for the minor premiers, just that under the challenge system the double chance didn't need to be used if the minor premiers won 2 games and then under Page McIntyre the 2nd place got the double chance if the minor premier won the semi final.

The V/AFL has retrospectively changed the name of finals pre 1931 if the minor premier lost either the semi final or the final. In the case where the minor premier lost the Final that now = Preliminary Final in the AFL's history books and if they lost the semi final the Challenge Final that now = Grand Final.

So why the long build up to the Port story?? Because they stuffed up and lost the opportunity for the Challenge Final.

1897 - League table decides the premier just like Euro soccer
1898 - the VFL and SANFL ( ie SAFA back then) adopt Finals system. Dont know about WA and Tassie.

So in 1902 Port were the Minor Premiers - see LINK . They lost the 1901 (Grand) Final by 4 pts to Norwood. Port were kicked out of the 1902 finals because we forfeited the final against South Adelaide because we refused to play a game with umpire Kneebone in control. If you read the part of the article I quoted below, Port comes up with the suggestion of playing a game against North who won the "grand final" - and all proceeds were to go to the Children's hospital. the SAFA didn't let Port have an official Challenge Final.

Port were trying to get a pseudo Challenge Final game against North. They said they would respect that North were the premiers but sounds like Port wanted some sort of proof they were the better side. That's my take of what happened and why they even tried to get this game approved. From the 1902 article from trove's copy of The register-

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/56255969?searchTerm=football&searchLimits=l-advcategory=Article|||l-advcategory=Detailed+Lists,+Results,+Guides|||l-advcategory=Literature|||l-advstate=South+Australia|||requestHandler=/headingSearch|||sortby=dateAsc|||l-decade=190|||l-year=1902|||l-month=9

"He knew there was a rule that no club could play without the consent of the association, and, as the season was over, he asked if the association would permit this: North Adelaide Club, if they chose, to play Port Adelaide— the premiership not affected— next Saturday, the whole proceeds to be devoted to the Children's Hospital. He moved to that effect. Mr. Harvey seconded.— Mr. Thomas said it would be a great mistake to allow the game to be played. He had hoped ? when he saw the delegates of Port Adelaide that they would gracefully approach the association. The decision of the association was absolutely just. If the club had approached the association, and some expression of regret had been made at the statements.made, he felt that the association might have even reversed their derision, but the time had gone for that,and if the association countenanced thematch with North Adelaide jt would place them in an undignified position before the public. They must remain loyal to the resolution."

You can read a couple of more articles about it in this thread. Post #8 has quoted the full article found on trove from the Advertiser back in early September 1902 that explains why Port were kicked out of the finals and has direct quotes/record of the SAFA special meeting held a couple days after the forfeited final by Port.

https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/1902-the-one-we-threw-away.1085022/#post-36595266
 
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All games in the wafl, sanfl, vfa and vfl were postponed from May 6 1910 due to the death of king Edward the 7th

Wafl, vfa and vfl played their games on Monday the 6th of june and the sanfl on Monday the 27th of june - all off a 2 day break playing Saturday
 
A tale that my brother who worked as a liney, the man who previously had his company vehicle went out on a Friday night and had a few drinks too many. He could not remember where he parked his vehicle or how he got home.

On Monday he booked himself off sick as he looked to see where he parked his missing vehicle. He booked himself off again on Tuesday. He got called in the afternoon because they found his vehicle. Work made him pay for the tow-truck because the vehicle was bogged to the axles in the middle of a sports oval.

The sporting club rang and told the company to remove their vehicle.

He got drunk and then hung wheelies under he got bogged in the centre of the oval before walking home afterwards
 
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The Gascoyne Football Association had to push back their season to June because the Carnarvon Shire decided that the Carnarvon ground needed a concrete cricket pitch.
thewest.com.au

Gascoyne footy season delayed

Festival Ground Oval was made a multi-use site for football and cricket last October, when the Shire installed a concrete cricket pitch in the middle of the oval.
thewest.com.au thewest.com.au
Since the first round was a split round and one team didn't show up, the first game of the season was only last week. The same team didn't show up for their second game either.
 
JoondalupJ said:
I only remember once in the VFL , there may have been more , but my memory gives me one, and the whole six games called off , the weather was abysmal very heavy rain and wind and no one was going to go , forcast was ongoing. I can't remember the time exactly but it was 40 to 50 years ago.

Worst weather day I'd seen up til then.
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It was VFL round 11 1963 that was cancelled.VFA matches were played and naturally had very low scores.
 
Richmond effectively handed the 1904 VFA Premiership to North Melbourne, because they objected to the umpire that was named for the Final. Richmond advised the VFA it believed Umpire Allen erred in allowing North Melbourne to continue to play with iron spikes/stops in their shoes during the semi-final between the same teams. They informed the VFA they would not play if Allen was appointed. The VFA appointed him anyway and Richmond forfeited.

There was also the 1967 VFA decider, in which Port Melbourne captain-coach Brian Buckley objected to a series of decisions made by Umpire Jackson, and told his team to leave the ground and forfeit as protest. The committee had to step in and order the side to play out the game.
 
trove.nla.gov.au

FOOTBALL FUN - CROWD ENJOYS ITSELF. BALL PUNCTURED BY KNIFE. - Mudgee Guardian and North-Western Representative (NSW : 1890 - 1954) - 8 Sep 1930

The late and much-needed rains put the Jerilderie inhabitants in great heart, and those who attended a football match there recently enjoyed ...
trove.nla.gov.au trove.nla.gov.au

trove.nla.gov.au

Footballs Punctured By Hedge During Match - Barrier Miner (Broken Hill, NSW : 1888 - 1954) - 8 May 1933

BALLARAT, Thursday.—Probably the funniest football match ever played in Australia was described to the Ballarat Association's meeting by ...
trove.nla.gov.au trove.nla.gov.au

On the same theme, at a end of the game, when Alan "the bull" Reval
walks off the ground with the ball....:
trove.nla.gov.au

Missed Football And Punctured Player's Leg - The Herald (Melbourne, Vic. : 1861 - 1954) - 19 Nov 1940

ADELAIDE, Tuesday. -- Unable to souvenior the football used in the Sturt (premiers) v. The Rest match, Stanley Edward ...
trove.nla.gov.au trove.nla.gov.au
 
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The VFA Project

www.thevfaproject.org www.thevfaproject.org
emuboy said:
I read once that VFA club Melbourne City, infamous for not winning a game during its short-lived tenure in 1912-1913, once forfeited a game at half time due to inclement weather, but I don't know the opponent.

In Round 3 1988, the wet weather conditions on the Gold Coast saw the match between the Brisbane Bears and West Coast Eagles at Carrara moved to the WACA ground in Perth, with the Bears hosting the Eagles! Unfortunately for the Bears the Eagles proved impolite guests, kicking a massive 29.18-192 (still West Coast's highest score) on a hot afternoon to crush the Queenslanders by 118-points. The teams met again later in the year at the WACA, this time an Eagles home game played at night and the match was a thriller, West Coast narrowly beating Brisbane by 9 points.
Click to expand...
 
From localfootystats.com:
2009, Southern FL Division 3.
Cerberus had to forfeit their home game against Mount Waverley because HMAS Cerberus was swept with the swine flu outbreak.
Influenza outbreaks causing forfeits in country leagues were occasional back before World War II. Let's hope the new coronavirus outbreak is managed quickly.
 

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List Bizarre/unusual reasons for cancelled/suspended/abandoned games

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