AFL Canberra grand final week has been rocked by a "devastating" player eligibility drama which has forced a Queanbeyan Tigers team to be disqualified from a decider.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Queanbeyan's second grade women's preliminary final win over Eastlake has been overturned after the Tigers were found to have fielded four ineligible players during the match.
Eastlake will now advance to the grand final against Ainslie at Phillip Oval on Saturday morning, with Queanbeyan's premiership dream dashed.
AFL Canberra rules state for a player to be eligible to play finals in a particular grade, they must have played a minimum of four home and away matches in that grade or a lower grade.
Further, a player can only participate in one senior finals match per weekend, which is why the result was ultimately overturned.
MORE SPORT:
Four players on the Tigers' team sheet for the second grade preliminary final have played less than four second grade games this year, despite playing the majority of the season in the Rising Stars competition for Queanbeyan, who had played a finals game on the Friday night prior to the second grade game.
Four players each played no more than three second grade games, despite each playing at least 12 Rising Stars games. Their first grade appearances ranged from three to seven matches each this year.
AFL Canberra officials ultimately overturned Queanbeyan's 5.10 (40) to 5.1 (31) win over Eastlake, with the score line now reading a 90-point win for the Demons.
The decision has been lashed in some quarters given the Tigers quartet had played the bulk of the season in the under 18s competition.
The verdict came as the association prepared to celebrate the 2023 season at the Mulrooney and Bainrot Medal night on Wednesday.
"This is truly devasting for the entire club but no more so than the individuals involved with the team from coaches, players and management," a Tigers board statement said.
"We have no alternative but to accept the decision in the best interest of the competition.
"We apologise to our entire organisation for a misinterpretation of the laws in relation to the finals series and convey our best wishes to all clubs participating in their respective grand finals this weekend."
We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say. Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on The Canberra Times website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. See our moderation policy here.
Caden Helmers
Caden Helmers is a sports journalist for The Canberra Times.
Caden Helmers is a sports journalist for The Canberra Times.
