Injuries and a report added to the heartbreak for the Central Highlands Football League, which suffered another defeat in the AFL Victoria Community Championships by less than a goal.
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Highlanders captain Mark Gunnell was shown a yellow card and reported in the clash against Riddell District, which won the senior fixture at Buninyong by three points on Saturday.
Gunnell has decided to challenge the careless striking charge, which came in the third quarter.
The Gordon defender will front the tribunal this week in a bid to be free for the Eagles’ game against Skipton next weekend.
Adding to the frustration for the CHFL camp was injuries to Hepburn’s Jimmy Rodgers and Waubra’s Jarred Crabtree.
Both Rodgers and Crabtree watched the after-match presentations with ice on their left calf and must be in doubt for their respective games next Saturday.
The Burras are set to take on Dunnstown, while the Roos have a battle against Ballan.
Saturday’s loss was the Highlanders’ third in succession by less than a goal and followed four-point defeats against the Geelong and District and Southern leagues.
It was also a losing day for the Ballarat Football League on Saturday.
The BFL fell to the Goulburn Valley competition in the AFL Victoria Community Championships fixture at the MCG.
Ben Speight kicked eight goals for the Ballarat side, but it wasn’t enough as the GV outfit ran away with a 22-point win on football’s biggest stage.
That game was a curtain-raiser for the AFL clash between Essendon and Geelong.
Also on Saturday, the Maryborough Castlemaine District boys suffered a 44-point loss in a showdown with the West Gippsland league.
