List Bizarre/unusual reasons for cancelled/suspended/abandoned games

[Gibbke]

South Launceston was on a 34 game losing streak going into their late 1991 match with Devonport. It was supposed to be played at York Park, but had to be moved to South's real home ground at Youngtown (which that year they weren't allowed to play at because it supposedly wasn't up to standard). The reason - the groundsman's tractor was bogged in the ground at York Park. South went on to break their two season drought...

The 2008 state premiership match between northern premiers Launceston and southern premiers Glenorchy in Hobart was cancelled at the last minute because the NTFL decided they didn't want to pay for Launceston's travelling costs.

 

[Kingpin]

I remember that when the tractor got bogged on York Park on the Thursday afternoon and they couldn't remove it so the TFL had to hastily get Youngtown ready by the Saturday.
It was a pretty tight race for the five at the time too between Devonport and reigning premier Hobart.
That same day at Boyer, Hobart and New Norfolk were level deep into time on in the last quarter when Ray Sherwin marked 45m out to the pine trees end as he went to kick it, a huge gust of wind blew the ball of its trajectory and he missed kicking the ball completely as it plopped beside him which prompted raucous bronx cheers from the New Norfolk stand.
Sherwin casually picked the ball up, weaved around his opponent off one step and went BANG! Goal! New Norfolk supporters went silent, Hobart supporters on the hill next to the stand giving it large to the opposition supporters in the stand beside them and moments after the restart the siren went to give Hobart a 6 point win. The reports on the radio via ABC Radio were that South Launceston were playing all over Devonport at Youngtown and ready to break the longest losing streak in TFL history, as they did 12.25 (97) to 11.10 (76).
The following week Hobart hosted South Launceston at North Hobart in the final round and Hobart needed a huge win to get over Devonport and make the finals.
Hobart won 30.16 (196) to 14.12 (96), the last quarter was a shootout and the Hobart supporters were growing more concerned by the minute during the last quarter with South booting six goals and Hobart seven, percentage being critical. After the siren the PA system at North Hobart was playing the live radio broadcast of the main game and Peter Walsh announced "and Hobart have made the five!" and all the supporters at the ground jumped up and down celebrating.

 

[Fitzcray]

My local team all had a bout of the poo poos and had to call it a day in the first quarter when our captain had an unfortunate accident very soon after kicking a goal. The kicking motion was too much for him. Never play a game when most the team has a virus or stomach bug. The dressing room was a mess and nobody wanted to clean it.

 

[Rainier Wolfcastle]

10-6-1893 Victoria (VFA) vs Southern Tasmania (STFA) - meant to be an intercolonial match against a combined Tasmanian team but due to local football politics the NTFA refused to participate. [Argus 7-6-1893, p.6]

Perhaps fittingly for a match tainted by controversy in the lead-up, it ended poorly when a Victorian player kicked the ball into a nearby paddock late in the game to waste time and avoid a draw, sparking a melee that involved players, police and spectators.

https://www.hardballget.net/rep-matches-vfa-vfl-1877-1896.html

 

[Kingpin]

10-6-1893 Victoria (VFA) vs Southern Tasmania (STFA) - meant to be an intercolonial match against a combined Tasmanian team but due to local football politics the NTFA refused to participate. [Argus 7-6-1893, p.6]

Perhaps fittingly for a match tainted by controversy in the lead-up, it ended poorly when a Victorian player kicked the ball into a nearby paddock late in the game to waste time and avoid a draw, sparking a melee that involved players, police and spectators.

http://www.hardballget.net/vfa-rep-1877-1896-intercolonial-era.html

124 years later and nothing's changed with footy politics in Tassie!

 

[The_Wookie]

No mention of the blackout game?
http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/waverley-park-blackout-20-years-on-20160520-gp0bcv.html

Game was cancelled when the lights went out, crowd set fire to goalposts in the middle of the ground, and match time was finished the following Tuesday. Resulted in the AFl bringing in the rule that in the event of a match being called off after half time, the team leading at half time will be deemed the victor.

 

[Snake_Baker]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1904_VFA_season

 

[Rainier Wolfcastle]

1973 VFA 2nd Division GF (played at Toorak Park)

Caulfield 12.10 (82) led Brunswick 10.21 (81) by a point at 3/4 time.

Late in the final term the ball is kicked out of the ground. This is the sixth lost ball of the match and there are no replacements left! The game has to be stopped for a few minutes while officials race into the rooms looking for any old footy they can find so the game can continue.

Play eventually resumes and Caulfield go on to win by 22 points - their only VFA-VFL flag.

(The Sun 10/9/73)

 

[Kismet]

Ba

1973 VFA 2nd Division GF (played at Toorak Park)

Caulfield 12.10 (82) led Brunswick 10.21 (81) by a point at 3/4 time.

Late in the final term the ball is kicked out of the ground. This is the sixth lost ball of the match and there are no replacements left! The game has to be stopped for a few minutes while officials race into the rooms looking for any old footy they can find so the game can continue.

Play eventually resumes and Caulfield go on to win by 22 points - their only VFA-VFL flag.

(The Sun 10/9/73)

Back in the mid-'70's I used to get paid $2 per game to fetch the balls kicked out of the ground at Toorak Park for Prahran games.

Would've done it for a 2nd division GF if they'd ponied up.

 

[Rainier Wolfcastle]

Ba

Back in the mid-'70's I used to get paid $2 per game to fetch the balls kicked out of the ground at Toorak Park for Prahran games.

Would've done it for a 2nd division GF if they'd ponied up.

Hahaha that's great - would have saved themselves a lot of $$$ for a small outlay

 

[Scott2clarkson]

One guy broke his leg 5 minutes into an u/18.5 match i was goal umpiring. Ambulance had to come onto the ground and get the kid off the ground. That only happened last week.

A few years ago an u/16's qualifying final was abandoned because of Bacchus Marsh's full forward collapsing on the field. He later had his life support switched off because he wasn't getting any better.

 

[killer]

Macleod-Rosanna v South Morang 1974
game abandoned after 20minutes due to brawl
involving players and spectators.

" special mention to the spectator who king hit the stretcher bearer"

 

[killer]

Was looking for info on Maurice Beasy on Trove an found this


Perth Mirror 23/06/1928 Adelaide News 21/06/1928 same story

PLAYERS OBJECT TO UMPIRE
A match between Dunolly and Bealiba at Dunolly (Victoria) recently terminated
abruptly 12 minutes after the start of the game. It is alleged that both teams
took exception to the manner of the umpire controlling the play, and refused to
continue.
Maurice Beasy, a Carlton player, who resides at Dunolly, was sent for at the
request .of both teams. He declined- to fill the vacancy, pointing out that he was
not an official of the Ballarat Football League, and that if he officiated the game
might not be regarded as a competition match.
The scores when play was interrupted were:-Bealiba, 2-2; Dunolly, 1-3.

 

[Todman]

1976 Essendon DFL B Grade semi finals.

The surface of the Canning St Ground collapsed into underground caverns which had been eroded by recent rains.

The collapse occurred at half time of the reserves final between Brunswick City and Hadfield. This left the umpire with no alternative but to abandon the match. The seniors final between the same clubs was not played.

 

[Rainier Wolfcastle]

Lucky it happened at halftime - otherwise there would have been a new definition of players "going missing" during a game!

 

[killer]

Mathoura and East End battle it out for the Peter Dawson (the singer?)Cup in 1931



Friday 2/10/31 The Independent

ROUGH FOOTBALL

FREE FIGHTS ON GROUND GAME STOPPED IN SECOND TERM

Disgraceful scenes on the field among players and spectators
caused the abandonment of the premiership football match
between Mathoura and East End football teams at Deniliquin on Saturday,
the match culminating just before the second quarter was due to finish.

Soon after the second quarter opened it was apparent that the game
would finish up rough but few expected such an ending.
The climax arrived. when two opposing players became entangled
and several East End players rushed to the aid of their team-mate.

Mathoura players followed suit, and in less than a minute twenty
or more players of both sides were enveloped in a hopeless
swirl of punches.

Spectators rushed the ground and one over excited Mathoura supporter made
an unprovoked assault upon the East End captain (J Wharton), who was at that time
attempting to quell the disturbance, punching him a smashing blow on the eye and
felling him.

The aggressor had to make a hurried exit from the field, amid a shower of blows
from all sides.

Order was partially restored and the ball bounced, but play had only been
in progress a minute or so when two more players were seen in conflict.
Once again pandemonium reigned with the same twenty or so players fighting
furiously.

Sergeant Hyde, who had been trying his best to quell the disturbance single
handed, seized the ball wen the fights were eventually stopped.

Mathoura's captain (J McKenzie) left the field and called his men after him.
A further stir was then caused by two East End players chasing the
Mathoura supporter who had struck their team-mate, and the hot headed
supporter raced through a jostling crowd and eventually escaped over the
8-foot iron fence, at the rear of the stand and took to the "bush" while
the players were held by friends.

A car left the ground in pursuit of the escapee but was followed by another
containing inspector Bisley. After whirling through Several streets
both returned without having sighted each other or the one who was on foot.
The continuation of the match was by this time absolutely out of the question
in view of the excited state of the players and many spectators.

In any case Mathoura players were steadfast in their refusal to go on and were
dressed and ready for the return journey.

At the time of the disturbance East End was leading 3-4 to 2-3 by Mathoura. The
game promised to be very close.

The Dawson Gold Cup which was to be presented to the winning team after the match,
was on view, at the ground, but the president's plans were rudely upset by the players
and the cup had to be packed up and taken home again.

Such a valuable trophy was deserving of better competition for it than has been
engaged in this season.


*Another report says the Mathoura players grabbed the cup until the east end players
wrestled it off them, and, that that spectator was "elderly"

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/233797493

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/223673377

 

[killer]

Game delayed by wild animal

Collingwood v Carlton 1935
http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/55558133

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/181692850

 

[RedmanWasHere]

In 1999 a scoreboard caught fire before Richmond and Carlton's R22 game at the MCG.

 

[sherb]

Whilst it's not a cancelled game, I've seen something in Sydney footy which I have never heard of. Ever.

My club was playing a game, when just before half-time an opposition player was seriously injured. So much so that a helicopter was called in (obviously the player could not be moved).

This caused a major delay which would have normally caused the game to be abandoned.

However - it just turned out the venue had a number 2 oval set up for Australian Football. So off everyone went to that and played the second half of the game there.

 

[Darcy 2 Fyfe]

Sirengate-

The Dockers and St Kilda have seen a number of controversial events between them, most notably Sirengate at York Park in 2006. The match was set into a state of confusion with Fremantle leading by one point when the siren (which had not been very loud all game) was not heard by the umpires who then allowed St Kilda tagger Steven Baker to score a point after time had elapsed and, as a result, the match ended in a draw. The outcome of the game was taken to the AFL Commission and it was decided during the week that as the siren had gone Fremantle were judged to be the winners, disallowing Baker's point.

 

[RogerDean]

VFA Sept.3, 1898 - Port Melbourne v Richmond

Richmond entered halftime furious at the tactics of Port's players (among the incidents, one had been punched in the face and the captain had also been kicked).

11 Richmond players refused to return after the break so the remaining 7 took the field against Port's 18.

Surprisingly, they still managed a goal, the score for the quarter being 9.9 to 1.0.

Not surprisingly, the magnificent seven called it quits at 3/4 time and the game ended there with Port winning 14.10 to 4.0

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article192581955

My grandfather and three of his brothers, played in that game and were among the seven to continue playing.

 

[Rainier Wolfcastle]

My grandfather and three of his brothers, played in that game and were among the seven to continue playing.

That's fantastic - I admire the determination of the seven that played on! What were their names?

 

[Todman]

ASSOCIATION SEMI-FINAL. 1920

CROWD RUSHES THE GROUND.

THE ISSUE UNDECIDED,

A remarkable scene which occurred on the East Melbourne ground this afternoon, terminated play in the Footscray v. North Melbourne match, an association
semi-final; When Footscray was leading by 5 points, Considine, of North Melbourne, marked in front of the posts, just about the time the bell rang. The umpire allowed the kick, but a large crowds of spectators rushing the ground prevented the player from having his shot for goal. After endeavouring in vain to make room for Considine to have his kick the umpire, took the ball and left the arena, amidst a scene of unparalleled excitement.

It was a remarkable scene as the crowd rushed the ground. The umpire was powerless to take control. The mounted and foot police who came to the rescue were unable to disperse the people. The players were advised to leave the field and the game is still inconclusive. The crowd rushed the ground and turbulent scenes ensued. All the players were surrounded and fighting took place among excited spectators. Hurley, the umpire, blew his whistle several limes in order that Considine might have his kick, but the crowd on the arena became denser, and took no notice of him.

 

[Rainier Wolfcastle]

ASSOCIATION SEMI-FINAL. 1920
CROWD RUSHES THE GROUND.
THE ISSUE UNDECIDED,

The bizarre thing is that match had already been postponed due to torrential rain the week before!
They had to take a third crack at it and Footscray finally got home by 4 points to advance to the Grand Final.

https://www.hardballget.net/vfa-vfl-finals-drawn-postponed.html

 

[Kingpin]

A Southern Football League (Tasmania) Under 18s roster match between Claremont and Glenorchy was sensationally abandoned in the third quarter due to persistent fighting between the two teams.
It was eventually called off after a Glenorchy Under 18 player was chased off the field at Abbotsfield Park, over the fence and across the open field and drainage tunnels near the ground. Police were called in to quell the disturbances.
This happened after the TFL went broke and folded and the southern based TFL sides all had to join the SFL (which was a community based local comp in Southern Tasmania), and Glenorchy had had to change their identity (Black & White, Magpies) because Claremont had it in the SFL first. It was later revealed that the violence had stemmed from players from both teams being involved in rival gangs from out in the northern suburbs (where both clubs are located in Hobart) and that's what kicked it all off.