TOPIC:

Is anyone aware in the history of WAFL football if a league team has ever had to or chosen to forfeit a match?

What would be the punishment if a club did choose or legitimately had to forfeit a match?

Dirty Weekender wrote: Is anyone aware in the history of WAFL football if a league team has ever had to or chosen to forfeit a match?

What would be the punishment if a club did choose or legitimately had to forfeit a match?

DW interesting question. I found this in the AFL Laws of the Game 2012, which also applies to the WAFL

10.7 forfeIture of match
10.7.1 forfeiture
For the purposes of this Law, a Team forfeits a Match if:
(a) it is unable or it fails, refuses or neglects to commence
or recommence play:
(i) at the scheduled starting time; or
(ii) within such other time period determined or
specified by the Controlling Body, a field Umpire
or these Laws; or
(b) the field Umpire determines, in accordance with these
Laws, that a Team has forfeited the Match; orLaws of Australian Football 2012 33
(c) an event occurs under the Laws which results in
a Team forfeiting the Match.
10.7.2 consequence of forfeiture
Where a Team forfeits a Match, the following shall apply:
(a) the points for the Match shall be awarded to the Team
who did not forfeit the Match; and
(b) at the conclusion of the Home and Away Matches:
(i) the percentage of the Team who did not forfeit
the Match shall be adjusted by crediting and
debiting that Team with the average number of
points for the Home and Away Matches that were
scored for and against the Team who did forfeit
the Match; and
(ii) the percentage of the Team who did forfeit the
Match shall be adjusted by crediting and debiting
that Team with the average number of points for
the Home and Away Matches that were scored for
and against the Team who did not forfeit the Match

So in other words the other team gets the points and the percentage is worked out for both teams at the end of the season. I can't recall any recent examples of a team doing this. Perhaps during both world wars teams may have found themselves short of players on occasions. Some teams dropped out of the competition for whole seasons because of lack of numbers. Maybe the bloke who does that fantastic WAFL footyfacts website would be able to come up with the answer.

Maybe Midland Junction or North Fremantle.
They disappeared so maybe there was a forfeit.
Also around 1899 Perth we reformed they took a Rovers place so they may have forfeited at some stage.
There may be other earlier examples.
Would need to research but they would be obvious possibilities.

Demons Forever wrote: Maybe Midland Junction or North Fremantle.
They disappeared so maybe there was a forfeit.
Also around 1899 Perth we reformed they took a Rovers place so they may have forfeited at some stage.
There may be other earlier examples.
Would need to research but they would be obvious possibilities.

It's lucky for the Eagles they amalgamated with ?EP otherwise there would have been examples in 2014

In fact, I remember the Eagles forfeiting a scratch match, and at the time a much anticipated one against Perth some years ago due to a lack of "fit players"

There have been a number of forfeits in the WAFL, mostly in the early days when teams failed to have sufficient numbers to make up a team. For example EF forfeited against rovers in 1898 then rovers did the same the following year against east Fremantle, just before they folded and were replaced mid season by Perth.


I will provide a full list of forfeits a little later this morning. In my latest update to my website which I expect to be up by mid April I will list all forfeits, and matches won on protest as well as a list of all drawn games.

Here's the list - hopefully the attachment works ok

Thanks for the feedback fellas.

Going on that information technically G7 clubs could forfeit games against the 2 aligned clubs as a form of calculated protest and all that would happen is loss of points & percentage. If all G7 clubs agreed to forfeit for example 2nd & 3rd round games against WCEP so they only played 2 matches in the final 16 weeks of the season (or something close to that with fixture anomalies) surely this would severely effect their fitness & form leading in to the finals as well as jeopardise the preparation of borderline Eaglettes especially leading in to finals if they are good enough to get there. "Dirty Pool" I know but if an alliance was formed amongst the G7, Bronte & Co might just be brought to their knees without a ball being kicked. Would make a mockery of the WAFL but hasn't that already been done after hoodwinking G7 clubs in the first place. Of course this is all tongue in cheek commentary from me as we all would rather see footy played, food for thought thou if the competition is dominating by the 2 AFL clubs

Would love to see that DW but sadly as we both know that won't happen.

This time last year someone in particular was preaching forfeits and boycotts but he has mysteriously gone quiet since he became spokesperson for the WAFL presidents. If you listen closely he is even calling it a partnership now, not an alignment.

Paid off with an AFL NAB Cup game or is it just a coincidence he has gone quiet about the alignment since that game was played?