Context: What a COCK UP! Amazing to watch, even more amazing to see the aftermath. Sunday's game in Launceston between the Fremantle Dockers and St Kilda Saints was a bloody close one by any standards. It was made far more interesting however, by the last minute of the game.
The game was one point the difference, and as the seconds counted down to zero, the siren sounded, the spectators, the players and even the coaching team yelled with excitement and congratulated each other... only to find that the umpire apparently hadn't heard the siren and decided that the game was still on. The Dockers players threw their arms in the air in disgust. Connolly and his colleagues stormed on to the field waving their fists yelling 'The siren's gone!' But alas, play continued; and it saw St Kilda kick two more points - only one of which was counted, thus rendering the final result a draw.
The official rules state that the game is over when the umpire blows the whistle - not when the siren blasts. There is much confusion over the incident, as the siren only blew momentarily at the end of the game, (leading to the umpire apparently not hearing it) even though the rest of the players heard it. (Including one player standing right next to one of the umpires.) There are also witnesses claiming that an umpire at the opposite end of the ground blew his whistle and put his hands in the air to signify the conclusion of the game, but no one registered it with the other umpires.
Fremantle were rightfully awarded their four points on Wednesday.