The Gungahlin Eagles breathed a collective sigh of relief on Wednesday afternoon after John I Dent Cup officials opted not to strip them their finals berth.
The Eagles booked their play-off ticket with a final-round bonus-point win against Uni-Norths Owls last Saturday, but two days later it almost all came crashing down.
The Eagles have been cleared to play the Owls in a knockout final this Sunday.
Photo: Dion Georgopoulos
Gungahlin coach Dan Atkins was preparing for his side's knockout semi-final when he received a call on Monday that his team was under investigation for a player eligibility violation.
Josh Gillard and Simon Anau were used in the second half against the Owls despite not having played in previous games that day.
The Eagles were already in a bonus-point win position when both players were injected, and went on to win 47-5.
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Gungahlin argued a misinterpretation of rule 36 in the Canberra competition, which states teams are not allowed to use "fresh" reserves unless they have played in lower grades earlier in the day.
Following a two-day investigation the Eagles were issued a formal warning but their season was kept alive as the breach "had no influence on the final outcome of the game".
Atkins said it was a "massive relief" that his men would still be rewarded for mounting a late-season revival from last to fourth in their final six games.
"My heart sank on Monday. I didn't want to see anyone or even go to training, it was devastating," Atkins said.
"The players season was in my hands and I'd potentially taken it away from them, for a minor mistake, after they'd given their heart and soul every day this year."
Atkins admitted it was a distraction his men must now conquer and get back to the job at hand of landing a spot in the preliminary final.
"It is a minor distraction but it did not affect the way we trained last night, we trained as if we were playing on Sunday and the players put it out of their minds," Atkins said.
"I am thankful for my co-coach Rory Murphy and the players for staying focused on the task at hand and getting on with their jobs as normal.
"It just showed the dedication and professionalism we've really prided ourselves in these past eight weeks."
If the decision had gone against Gungahlin their spot would have been taken by the Queanbeyan Whites, who the Eagles leap-frogged in the final round.
"We respect the decision and wish every well in the finals," Whites coach Paul Dillon said.
"No one at the club thought that they would dock Gungahlin the points. Nobody expected them to a make a call that big."
The Eagles will play against the Owls on Sunday in a knockout semi, while defending champions Royals will face the Tuggeranong Vikings in a grand-final qualifier.
JOHN I DENT CUP FINALS
Saturday: Tuggeranong Vikings v Royals at Viking Park, 3:25pm.
Sunday: Uni-North Owls v Gungahlin Eagles at Viking Park, 3:15pm.
