A player injury has led to a second Central Highlands Football League senior match being abandoned this season
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The Newlyn and Hepburn encounter at Newlyn on Saturday (May 25) was called off after the first quarter was halted for more than 30 minutes while waiting for paramedics to arrive to tend to Newlyn's Jackson Starcevich on the playing field.
Starcevich suffered a serious ankle injury after landing awkwardly.
He was taken to hospital, where the full nature of the injury is being assessed.
Ironically this is the second time this season Newlyn has been involved in a senior game which has been abandoned after lengthy delay caused by a player injury.
The Cats found themselves in a similar situation against Buninyong in the first half in round one.
Umpires are permitted to call time on a game once a delay has reached 30 minutes.
Saturday's match was abandoned after consulting with Newlyn and Hepburn coaches and officials.
In accordance with AFL Victoria rules, Newlyn and Buninyong were each awarded two premiership points after their round one match being abandoned before half-time.
Newlyn and Hepburn will also receive two premiership points.
Newlyn coach Jarrett Giampaolo, who in a career spanning 300 games had never been involved in an abandoned match before this season and has now been part of two, said the fixture had been called off in the interest of player welfare.
Giampaolo said Starcevich had been injured after taking a mark while backing into players with the flight of the football.
"It was a fantastic mark, but when he's come down he's landed awkwardly.
"He was in a lot of pain. There was no choice but to leave him until paramedics arrived."
Giampaolo said once the half hour passed there was really no choice about re-starting the game - with close to an hour passing by the time he was tended to and placed in an ambulance..
Newlyn president Simon Dwyer said while there was a delay the paramedics had done a great job in dealing with the situation.
Hepburn coach Shane Fisher said player welfare across the board had been the priority in coming to the decision to abandon the game.