PAUL George was forced to watch on from the sidelines on Sunday as his team suffered a 3-1 defeat.
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The high-profile Irish signing was unable to take the field because his transfer approval was not completed in time for the Reds’ round 15 clash.
Ballarat manager James Robinson was clearly frustrated his star recruit was not allowed to take to the pitch, saying the time difference between Australia and Ireland had worked against the club.
“It has been sitting in an email box since 2am Saturday morning,” Robinson said after the match.
“You do a lot of effort to bring people over and you just want a tick of approval. That’s all it is.”
George, who has experience playing with Celtic in the Scottish Premier League, landed in Ballarat on Wednesday and was ready to go had he gained a transfer in time for Sunday’s fixture.
The 22-year-old is expected to start in the club’s home game against Springvale White Eagles next Saturday.