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THE final score of last weekend’s Heathcote District Football League senior game between Huntly and Mount Pleasant has been altered following a goal umpiring error.

While the Hawks remain the winners, the margin has been reduced from 12 points to two after an error in the third quarter was confirmed.

The final score according to the goal umpires was Huntly winning 17.11 (113) to 15.11 (101) at Hy-Line Australia Oval.

However, the final score has since been amended to Huntly prevailing 16.12 (108) to 16.10 (106), which was the score according to the timekeepers.

The confusion over the scores was the subject of a please explain from Mount Pleasant after the Blues were the side disadvantaged with the mistake in the third quarter.

The HDFL met with the Rochester and Echuca Football Umpires Association on Wednesday night where the final score was amended.

“The REFUA executive admitted that there was an error made by one goal umpire during the third quarter and he influenced the more junior goal umpire to amend his own score,” the HDFL said in a letter to both Mount Pleasant and Huntly yesterday.

“The central umpire also agreed that he was at fault in not instructing the goal umpires to confer with the official scorer at the club. At Huntly this has always been the timekeeper.

“In the third quarter it appears that one goal umpire has registered a point to Mount Pleasant when in fact they kicked a goal, and also registered a goal to Huntly when in fact a point was kicked.

“The less experienced umpire believed that he had the correct score at three quarter-time, but was overruled by his more experienced colleague.”

After kicking the last three goals of the third quarter, Mounts entered three quarter-time believing they were ahead by eight points.

But the Blues learned just before the start of the final quarter of the scoring error and that instead of leading, they were trailing the Hawks by four points.

“The boys went in at three quarter-time ahead by eight points and have then come back out four points down,” Blues coach Denis Grinton said.

“We then kicked the first two goals of the last quarter, which should have put us 20-odd points up, and that then becomes a whole different mindset for both teams compared to the margin being just eight points.

“So that was very frustrating, particularly when you’re in our position of being a side fighting for that fifth spot.

“We all make mistakes, but you would think that when you’re writing every score down as a goal umpire you’d be able to get that part right.

“But we’ve got to move on... we’ve got a big game against Colbinabbin on Saturday that we’ve got to focus all our attention on.”

The HDFL executive deemed that because the two goal umpires could not agree on the final score, in accordance with AFL rule 12.7, the timekeepers score becomes official.

“We have instructed the REFUA to ensure that the correct process is followed whenever the two goal umpires do not agree on the score at any break of the game,” the HDFL said.

“That is to confer the with timekeepers as to their score at the time. The league will also reinforce the importance of each club having the timekeepers keep not only the time, but the score in all games.”

Last week was not the first time the Blues have been stung by a scoring mishap.

In round seven last year when it was on the bottom of the ladder and playing top side Heathcote, Mount Pleasant drew with the Saints in a game the scoreboard showed at the final siren the Blues had won by one point.