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MAIDEN Gully YCW is appealing the loss of its premiership points for a player points breach that has the potential to leave the Loddon Valley league finals in limbo until late next week.
The Eagles were last month stripped of four points and their score annulled to zero after going over their player points limit of 45 in their round 14 win over Calivil United when they discovered after the game they had tipped over to 47 points.
The Eagles won the game 7.10 (52) to 6.12 (48), but the four points were instead awarded to Calivil United and the game officially recorded as the Demons prevailing 6.12 (48) to 0.0 (0) following the sanction handed down by the AFL Central Victoria Commission.
Maiden Gully YCW had until Wednesday to appeal the decision.
"Our appeal is purely based on the severity of the penalty imposed; it has nothing to do with trying to claw back a position on the ladder because it has no impact on our situation," Eagles president Chris Garlick said.
The LVFNL's last round will be played this Saturday and regardless of whether the Eagles had retained their points or not, they would still be in the same situation of needing to beat Bears Lagoon-Serpentine to have a double chance.
However, the outcome of the appeal to AFL Victoria in which submissions from the Eagles and AFLCV aren't due until mid-next week has the potential to have finals ramifications for not only Calivil United, but Marong also.
If Marong, which is sitting fifth, was to lose to Mitiamo this Saturday there is the potential the Panthers could be tipped out of the top five through no fault of their own by Calivil United as a result of the Demons being awarded the points from round 14.
With the additional four points received from the Eagles' breach, the Demons are a game, plus 3.58 per cent, behind Marong leading into their final game against the winless Inglewood this weekend where they are heavily favoured to have a comfortable win.
Effectively, if Calivil United leaps over Marong into fifth spot the last position in the finals - either the Demons or Panthers - won't be confirmed until after the Maiden Gully YCW appeal process is completed later next week.
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