NEAFL Grand Final: Head count reveals Southport Sharks had 19 men on the field

Tom Naghten

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NEAFL Grand Final: Head count reveals Southport Sharks had 19 men on the field image

Southport looked to be cruising to a big win in the NEAFL grand final against the Swans when a head count was called early in the final quarter.

The Sharks were up by 10 goals when the count was called after it was discovered they had 19 men on the field.

Confusion reigned as commentators awaited confirmation on whether their score would be wiped as per AFL rules.

After a dramatic final quarter in which no one seemed to know what the official score was, Southport claimed the flag but not without an almighty scare.

The league's explanation for not resetting Southport's score was that it was an interchange breach, though they started the quarter with 19 players on the ground.

Sharks players weren't even certain they'd won the match when the final siren went.

Check out the video below.

90-35 was the final score, giving the Sharks their first NEAFL premiership, though some viewers were certainly of the opinion that they got away with one.



 

Tom Naghten

Tom Naghten Photo

Tom Naghten is a senior editor at The Sporting News Australia where he's been part of the team since 2017. He predominantly covers boxing and MMA. In his spare time, he likes to watch Robbie Ahmat's goal against the Kangaroos at the SCG in 2000.