Confusion regins as ‘draw’ becomes Bulldogs win

So when the siren sounded only a matter of moments after Ryan Butler had kicked his fourth goal of the match and “levelled’’ the scores (at least according to the scoreboard official) it felt like more than a win than a loss for the club.

Both clubs, including Merrigum president Andrew Parkinson, believed the match had ended in a draw.

“I was back in the office doing the goalkickers and best players,” Parkinson said.

“The first person to bring it to my attention was our team manager, who said he had us up by a point.

“He told me he thought the scoreboard was wrong and then the umpires confirmed that after the players had shook hands and were back in the change rooms.”

The result means the Kangaroos now sit winless on the bottom of the 13-team table, while the Bulldogs — who themselves lost by 167 points last week — are now equal on eight premiership points with five other clubs.

A scoreboard error was behind the confusion, with Merrigum and Girgarre players thinking they had played out a draw.

Parkinson said Bulldogs officials had not approached the umpires about the score.

“They obviously noticed a discrepancy in the scores and five minutes later they changed the scoreboard,” he said.

“Our guys were in the rooms when we found out we had won, then they sang the song.

“After losing by so much against Nagambie they sang it pretty loud.”

Girgarre had rallied in the last quarter and Merrigum could probably consider themselves lucky to have hung on for a draw.

A five-goal third term had the Bulldogs in front by 23 points at the final change, but Girgarre kicked five final-quarter goals to eventually finish just one point behind their rival.

The Kangaroos led by a point at the first change, but trailed by eight points at the long change after Merrigum’s inaccuracy kept them in touch.

Merrigum finished the match with 26 scoring shots to the Kangaroos’ 20, both teams registering their highest scores of the season.

The Bulldogs had a close call in its opening-round match when a Dookie United player failed to score with an after-the-siren shot and Merrigum finished a two-point victor.

Coach Jaydon Stiles was again the key target in attack, taking his tally of goals to 16 with a hat-trick of majors on Saturday.

His younger brother, Josh, was the Bulldogs’ best player and gained support from speedy midfield duo Marcus Kerr and Connor Cowley.

Girgarre recruits Nic Woods and Todd Van roy turned in big games, mobile ruckman Woods the top big man on the ground and Tongala reserve-grade premiership player Van roy creative on a wing.

Woods played his best game so far and Van Roy, Jay Westley and near-match-winner Butler were active in the midfield.

On-baller Layne Baker and Jayson Harrison in attack were also prominent for Girgarre.

— Focus on the second half of the split round this Saturday will be on Longwood’s bid to win successive games when it hosts neighbour Avenel.

Longwood broke a 34-game losing streak dating back to the 2019 season when it beat Undera in the third round.

Dookie United hosts the rampaging unbeaten Nagambie in the match of the day while Shepparton East will also be attempting to keep its impressive unbeaten start to the season intact when it takes on Undera.