NORTH Central league flag favourite Birchip-Watchem has been stripped of 12 premiership points after an amendment to one of its players tipped the Bulls over their points allocation early in the season.

Bulls’ recruit Stefan Pye had been playing the season as a three-pointer when he should have instead been a four-point “premium community” player given he won Royal Park’s best and fairest last year.

Any recruit who finishes top-five in their previous club’s best and fairest the year prior falls under the “premium community” player category.

Pye was also a runner-up in last year’s Maryborough-Castlemaine District league Berry-Powell Medal.

However, having this week been amended to a four-pointer, it means the Bulls have retrospectively now exceeded their limit of 43 points from their first three games of the season.

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In what were wins over Donald (49-35), Wedderburn (144-42) and Charlton (152-69), the Bulls’ player points tally for those games has now become 44, resulting in the AFLCV region commission meeting on Friday and determining the club should be sanctioned for the breach.

The sanction handed down strips the Bulls of their premiership points for each of the breached games, with their opponents now receiving the points.

Their opponents tally in each match will stand, while the Bulls’ score will now be annulled to 0.

“Birchip-Watchem had only recently been informed of Stefan Pye’s 2017 best and fairest result. Upon learning of this information the club immediately contacted me to inform the commision of the unintentional error,” AFLCV region manager Carol Cathcart said.

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“Although it was a genuine oversight, clubs are required to complete sufficient due diligence on the history of new players and inform the commission if the player achieved a top five finish in the club senior best and fairest the previous year.”

The Bulls – whose allocation of 43 points is the highest in the North Central league – are the first club across the AFLCV region since the introduction of the player points system that is now in its third year to be penalised for a breach.

“The commission took into account the unintentional nature of the breach and noted Birchip-Watchem’s honesty and co-operation with this matter,” Cathcart said.

The Bendigo Advertiser has sought comment from the Bulls.

Before Friday’s sanctions were handed down the Bulls – last year’s beaten grand finalist – had a perfect 13-0 record in pursuit of their first premiership since 2001.

However, the ramifications as far as the ladder is concerned means the Bulls now become 10-3 and their percentage slips from 201.1 to 147.7.

The Bulls have now been overtaken by reigning premier Wycheproof-Narraport (11-2) in top spot.

Donald – which had only been clinging onto fourth spot by 0.24 per cent – moves from 24 points to 28 and climbs from fourth to third on the ladder.

Wedderburn remains sixth, but by moving from 18 to 22 points is now back within one game of the top four with three rounds remaining.

Charlton stays in seventh position, but now has 16 points.

…………………………….

Adjusted ladder:

Wyche-Narraport – 44 pts

Birchip-Watchem – 40 pts

Donald – 28 pts

St Arnaud – 26 pts

Sea Lake Nandaly – 24 pts

Wedderburn – 22 pts

Charlton – 16 pts

Boort – 8 pts

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