A vote count error has rocked the Goulburn Valley League during its grand final week.
Due to a miscalculation in compiling the final leaderboard, an error was made in Monday’s Goulburn Valley League Wellman Family Medal which resulted in the wrong player announced as the 2023 recipient of the league’s A-grade best-and-fairest award.
Tatura’s Elsie Boyer was announced as the Wellman medallist on 27 votes - despite only polling 24 - with Seymour’s Sarah Szczykulski runner-up on 25 votes.
Boyer was incorrectly credited an additional three votes in the final six rounds of the vote count to finish atop the leaderboard on 27 votes.
In fact, Boyer polled twice in the final six rounds with one vote in round 15 and two votes in the final round against Shepparton Swans.
Those three votes, after leading the vote count on 21 after 12 rounds, left her on 24 — not the 27 that was on the final leaderboard following the 18 rounds.
An audit of the votes revealed Szczykulski as the correct winner of the 2023 Wellman Family Medal and Boyer as the runner-up.
In a joint statement issued by the GVL and AFL Goulburn Murray on Wednesday afternoon, the league confirmed its mistake.
“On behalf of the GVL Board and AFL Goulburn Murray, we advise that an error has been identified in the presentation of the final leaderboard of the A Grade Wellman Family Medal; consequently, the incorrect winner was announced,” it read.
“Each vote, round by round, was correctly displayed as per the votes provided by the umpires. The error occurred in the final votes’ tallying, whereby an additional three votes were inadvertently credited to Elsie Boyer.
“All awards are audited twice throughout the season (mid-season and post-home and away season) and then again just before presentation night. The error was not in the votes but in the final tally, and unfortunately, due to human error, this was not picked up.
“All other football and netball grades have been reviewed and confirmed as accurate.”
The league apologised to all parties involved.
“We have spoken to Elsie, her family, and the Tatura FNC and thank them for their understanding,” the statement read.
“Collectively, they congratulate Sarah, on her achievement in winning the Wellman Family Medal in recognition of an outstanding season, and the Seymour FNC.
“We sincerely and unconditionally apologise to Elsie, her family, the Tatura FNC, Sarah, her family, and the Seymour FNC for this error.”
Boyer’s club also issued a statement regarding the vote count error.
“Tatura Football Netball Club (TFNC) acknowledge today’s statement by the Goulburn Valley League and AFL Goulburn Murray in relation to the 2023 Wellman Family Medal for the best and fairest netballer in A Grade,” the statement read.
The club went on to congratulate Szczykulski and threw its support behind league officials.
“Elsie, her family and the TFNC congratulate Sarah. Sarah is an outstanding netballer, a person of the highest quality and a worthy recipient of the Wellman Family Medal. Likewise, we send our congratulations to the SFNC, a club the TFNC has deep respect for,” it read.
“Elsie, her family and the TFNC also acknowledge GVL Chair Jacqui Hudgson and AFL-GM Head of Operations Josephine Spencer for their personal ownership of the issue when it arose, and their prompt, transparent and accountable efforts to resolve the problem.
“Elsie, her family and the TFNC accept the sincere and unconditional apology of the GVL for the error. The TFNC also affirm its ongoing support for Jacqui and Josephine.”
Additionally, Mooroopna’s Asha Gray finished third on 22 votes, despite being listed as sixth in Monday’s final leaderboard.
Seymour’s Casey Adamson was fourth (21 votes) and Echuca’s Steph Vick fifth (21) to round out the top five.