In the dying moments of the Kyabram-Seymour GVL clash on Saturday, most fans were perplexed when Kyabram wingman Nic Denahy took a mark — and was then ordered from the ground with a yellow card by an umpire.
If that wasn’t bad enough for the Kyabram camp to digest with the game in the balance, a subsequent free kick then awarded to Seymour resulted in the Lions getting a goal.
When you are awarded a mark it’s most unlikely you dispute the umpire’s decision, so what was Denahy’s crime?
The answer was a tape covering an earring he was wearing had become dislodged, disclosing the earring.
To have the mark taken off you seemed bad enough, but then being ordered from the ground with a yellow card and the opposition being paid a free kick further confused the situation.
Kyabram coach Paul Newman said he was completely blindsided by the incident, which he had never seen any situation even remotely like it in his career.
And what could have been another fatal twist was that with Denahy being handed a yellow card Kyabram was under the impression he had to serve 15 minutes in the sin bin.
But after six minutes playing with only 17 men and the game see-sawing into its dying stages Kyabram was informed Denahy was allowed back on the ground, providing the earring had been removed.
In the wash-up the umpires were perfectly justified in their decisions.
Goulburn Valley Umpires Association director of umpiring Andrew Moore said the umpires had followed and enforced the rules to the letter in the incident.
‘‘The rule is no player is to wear prohibited items during a game and that includes earrings,“ Moore said.
“If any player is detected breaking the law in this regard he is immediately sent from the ground with a yellow card and a penalty paid to the opposing side.”
Moore said at the moment a player could return as soon as the offending item was removed, but he said this rule would be altered to enforce a compulsory 15 minutes in the sin bin and the player concerned unable to be replaced.
Denahy wasn’t the only player sent off during the game for wearing a prohibited item.
Early in the game a Seymour player was sent off the ground for a similar breach.
Yes, I missed Kayne
In my story last week on Nick Holman preparing to play his 100th game of AFL football at the weekend in Darwin I didn’t include Kayne Pettifer as a Kyabram player who has played 100 games or more at the elite level.
Kayne in fact chalked up 113 games with Richmond between 2001-9 and kicked 133 goals.
Holman now joins Brett Deledio (275), Garry Lyon (226), Dick Clay (213), Kayne Pettifer (113) and Charlie Fisher (111) as former Bombers directly recruited from Kyabram to play 100 or more games of VFL/AFL football.
And I’m sure — or at least hope — Kayne, who is still playing with Kyabram at the grand old age of 40, will forgive me.
How time flies
Yes, it’s 10 years since the Dave Williams-coached Kyabram Bombers broke a 17-year premiership drought by winning the 2013 Goulburn Valley League premiership.
And the milestone won’t go unrecognised with a reunion planned for Kyabram’s home game against the Shepparton Swans on Saturday, June 10.
But for five players and the coach there won’t be any time off to enjoy a full day of celebrations.
Five players in that 2013 side — Jason Morgan, Liam Ogden, Hayden Gemmill, Tom Holman and Rhys Clarke — are still playing with the Bombers today while another, Paul Newman, is the current coach.
Sam Sheldon, Axel Child and Brad Edwards, playing with Moama, will also have to wait until the evening to catch up with premiership teammates.
One of the reunion organisers Chris Atkins said every player who was in the flag-winning side had indicated they would be attending the reunion, including Nick Holman and Nathan Beck, who are currently Queensland based.
But anyone in the club at the time has an invitation to attend the reunion.
Rochy claims Sayers
Rochester is claiming Carlton Football Club president Luke Sayers as its own.
Free Press editor Rohan Aldous discovered at the recent annual Melbourne reunion of Rochester players and supporters that Sayers was born in Rochester and lived the first nine years of his life in the town.
His father Graham was the principal of the Rochester High School at the time.
Luke Sayers went onto represent Australia in ice hockey. He is currently the executive chairman of the Sayers Group, a Melbourne based investment and advisory company. He joined the Carlton Football Club’s board of directors in 2012 before becoming the club’s president in 2021.
Tigers racing colours
Look out for a galloper in the future whose jockey will be sporting the Rochester Football Club colours.
An auction at Rochester footballers Melbourne event resulted in a 10 per cent share of any winnings of the Holler-Songs Of Ireland filly going to the GVL Tigers. This was a gesture from Mad Mick — Mick Hetrelezis — from Cobram, who paid $3000 for the share and has recruited Rochester brothers Andrew and Geoff Sharp and well-known racing identity Gerry Van Ameyden to join the syndicate of owners.
The filly will be trained by Colin Scott whose first venture into buying a yearling — an $18,000 purchase — resulting in that horse called Speediness going on to win prizemoney of more than $1 million.
There a lot of people hoping history will repeat itself with this latest purchase.
But anyone into racing horses will tell you there is a lot of water to go under the bridge yet for even the filly to make it to the races. It would great though for all concerned if she does and of course better still if she wins.