AUSTRALIAN RULES
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It was meant to be a celebration of Mark O’Keefe’s 150th game for the Mudgee Black Swans but it has turned into a “please explain” from the Central West AFL after Saturday’s match was washed out.
Mudgee was to play their reserve grade match against Orange Tigers at Victoria Park on Saturday but the game was called off before a ball had been kicked.
Although Mudgee recorded 25.4 millimetres of rain over two days until Saturday 9am, the town’s sports grounds resembled swimming pools.
Mid-Western Regional Council closed all grounds in the region, sending Saturday sport into chaos.
No junior football, no junior rugby union, no hockey and no AFL matches were played on Saturday due to the grounds being closed.
At Monday night’s Mudgee Sports Council meeting, O’Keefe asked why the AFL match could not go ahead considering the Black Swans have played in matches at Bathurst in ankle-high water.
He said the Central West AFL wanted an explanation as this is the second time in the competition’s 32-year history a match has been washed out. The first occasion was also in Mudgee.
The decision to close the ground could have ramifications for the Black Swans’ finals hopes.
O’Keefe said because the match could not be played, under CWAFL rules, Orange have the choice on where and when the match will be rescheduled.
If Mudgee can’t agree to the Tigers’ terms, they will have to forfeit the game.
But Mudgee Sports Council president Peter Mitchell was adamant he followed the right procedure and the correct decision was made.
“We had representatives from Sports Council there [at the ground] and had Julian Geddes from [Mid-Western Regional] Council on the phone,” Mitchell said at Monday night’s Sports Council meeting.
“There were pools of water everywhere. It was dangerous and we have a duty of care to abide to.
“Julian was on the phone and he was happy with what was discussed.
“It was beyond all of our control.”
Mitchell did say to O’Keefe that he would write a letter to the CWAFL explaining the situation.
Mitchell said it wasn’t just AFL that was affected and wanted an explanation.
He had a phone call from a member of Central West Rugby Union asking why the under 15s Mudgee Blue versus Orange City match was abandoned too.
Mudgee Rugby boss Greg Bartrim, albeit frustrated that the match was abandoned, said Jubilee Oval was under water.
So much so, there were ducks swimming in the puddles.
“In my 27 years of being involved in Mudgee rugby, I’ve never seen Jubilee Oval as bad as that,” Bartrim said.
“It was a vital game for our under 15s but there was no way we could have played.”