Hampden league president Shane Threlfall responds to confusion surrounding Portland's open-grade netball forfeit

On Sunday Portland coach Ellen Zeunert told The Standard that player unavailability left the club with "no other option" than to forfeit the match in an unprecedented move.

"Based on what Portland told us they just didn't have enough to fill that particular team..." HFNL president Shane Threlfall said.

"Portland kept our netball section of our board in the loop.

"It was certainly disappointing and from our point of view we certainly don't want any forfeits but sometimes clubs just get put into a position where it makes it extremely difficult to field a side. We're certainly sympathetic to individual clubs that have these challenges."

On social media questions were raised as to why the club weren't made to forfeit a lower grade in order to fill an open side.

"If they didn't have the numbers why wasn't their division three side made to forfeit?", one user commented on Facebook under The Standard's story on the forfeit.

The Standard was also contacted by a HFNL life member, wishing to remain anonymous, who said they were "appalled" by the decision.

"I'm disappointed for the other teams," they said.

"Camperdown basically lost their entire senior side and still field a side each week.

"I'm sure over the years there has been many teams that would love that easy out, but they beg, borrow and plead and fill their teams from grades below.

"This is setting a risky precedent, and if there aren't ramifications, what's to stop it happening again and again?"

Threlfall said there were no longer any laws forcing club's to prioritise fielding a top-grade side every week.

"Certainly through COVID there was a COVID bylaw that said if there's any forfeits you had to fill up and keep your top side," he said.

"The COVID bylaws are now not applicable anymore and our netball executive members went through our bylaws and there was none that covered this example in a general season.

"As a board when these examples come up we'll look at them and adjust the bylaws accordingly in the future if that's the way people want to go."

Threlfall said filling from top to bottom was the league's priority although wasn't always possible.

"Even if there is a bylaw suggesting that, I think there should still be a clause that allows for circumstances beyond clubs' control," he said.

Threlfall said he didn't believe forfeits would become a common occurrence in the league's open-grade netball competition.

"Personally I think it's just a one-off situation but we can't predict how clubs are going to be affected with their availability," he said.

"But certainly I can't see it being something that happens too often."

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