A LEAGUE investigation is likely to be launched
into the serious incident which caused the KNTFL
A grade match between Kingston and Penola to
be abandoned last Saturday.
Legal action may also be taken by the family of
Kingston player David Werner, who was injured
in an incident at Kingston's home ground, Gall
Park.
In what could be a league fi rst, the match was
abandoned after 10 minutes of play in the third
quarter following a long delay after the injury
to 17-year-old Werner amid fears he could have
serious neck/spinal injuries.
The delay of up to 45 minutes led to a decision
that the match wouldn't be able to be completed
with the remaining available daylight. Leading
by 48 points at the time, Penola was declared the
winner of the match.
KNTFL president Kym Hebberman said the
league would investigate the incident if he received
an offi cial written complaint.
"Whenever there's something out of the normal,
we'll defi nitely have a look at it and see what's
going on," he said.
Mr Hebberman was told the "umpires and everyone
went about it in the correct manner with
good common sense".
He said the player's physical well-being was
the "fi rst priority" and the game was called off
because it wouldn't be fi nished before dark.
"There's no way they could have completed it
within the time schedule," he said.
At the time the Herald went to print, it was understood
an offi cial complaint hadn't been made.
"There has to be an offi cial complaint," Mr
Hebberman said. "We've had a letter and lots of
people saying they're going to do this, that and
the other."
He said rule 49 of the constitution - conduct unbecoming
- would allow the league to investigate.
Mr Hebberman said the trainers at the ground
didn't want to move the injured player for fear of
a spinal injury.
"That's the only reason why they didn't want to
move him," he said. "The trainers weren't confi -
dent in moving the player, they decided it's bigger
than us and they called the ambulance.
"Obviously the league will look at it - there's
been an injury to a player.
He said there was offi cial protocol that "should
be followed and that's in our rules.
"I don't think we've had a game called off, not in
my time... well put it this way, I can't remember
anything."
Although he did not see the actual incident,
Kingston A grade coach Tim Richards said it was
distressing.
"In all my time of playing and coaching I have
never (experienced) anything like that before," he
said.
"I have never experienced such a delay in play,"
Richards said. "I was angry, frustrated and concerned
for David and his family."
Kingston's acting captain on the day Andrew
Cunneen said the players wanted to continue the
game in support of Werner.
"We all wanted to take the fi eld again and fi nish
the game but at the end of the day it wasn't our
decision," he said.