Football appeal sacked
Adam Scott’s junior athlete of the year last season can’t play football, rugby for TASSS this season
Mack McFarlane will not get to play football or rugby with his new teammates at Thomas A. Stewart Secondary School.
The OFSAA Board of Reference – Transfers, the final level of appeal, upheld decisions by COSSA and the Kawartha District Athletic Association transfer committees to deny McFarlane’s request to play at his new school this year.
The Grade 10 student transferred to TASSS from Adam Scott Collegiate where he was the junior male athlete of the year in 201617.
Jenn Sicard, McFarlane’s mother, said she’s never been given a clear reason why other students transferring from Adam Scott to TASSS this year were permitted to play and her son was not.
An email from the OFSAA board chairwoman Beth Hubbard, obtained by The Examiner, states “Based on the documentation provided, and the discussions during the appeal hearing, the board members did not find the student eligible under any section of the OFSAA transfer policy.”
McFarlane had applied under the transfer policy which permits transfers for “exceptional academic, social or personal” reasons. Sicard said her son’s move was to enrol in the integrated arts program at TASSS not offered at Adam Scott.
Brian Poste, COSSA transfer chairman, told The Examiner last month the fact the course is not offered at a previous school is not a reason OFSAA accepts for a transfer. It used to be but was removed several years ago because it was a rule abused by teams who recruited players from other schools to stack their teams.
Sicard said she’s been told throughout the process her son’s former school had no say in the transfer process. Yet, in COSSA and OFSAA hearings she was asked if TASSS coaches, either through activities with the Griffins or the local Wolverines football program, ever tried to recruit her son. If this was not one of the questions on the transfer form, and the decisions were based solely on those forms and supporting documents, she wants to know why COSSA and OFSAA officials would ask that question.
“Obviously, there has been something they’ve heard along the way and that’s why they are asking these questions,” she said.
Sicard, McFarlane and the TASSS coaches have denied any recruiting took place.
Hubbard’s email states “A letter outlining the rationale for the decision will be mailed from this office to your school within two weeks.”
p.m., SMCSS @ BHS (jr); IEW @ CCI (jr/sr)
p.m., LCVI @ KCVI (jr); CSS @ SPCSS (jr); TASSS @ ASCVI (jr); LCVI @ TASSS (sr)
p.m., FFSS @ ASVI (sr) p.m., NDHS @ HCCSS (jr) Thomas A. Stewart's Max Levaseur, right, lines up Adam Scott Lions' Mack McFarlane during the Kawartha high school junior boys championship game Nov. 4, 2016 at Thomas A. Stewart Athletic Field.
Sicard hopes she’ll be given a copy of that letter.
With no further level of appeal McFarlane, who has practised with the team all season, will have to watch from the sidelines. Coincidentally, the Griffins’ next opponent is Adam Scott on Friday at 6 p.m.
“It’s going to be tough for Mack to have to watch,” Sicard said.
She says the rules don’t define what “exceptional” means which makes it difficult when applying.
“The rules are unclear about what p.m., Junior Games @ SMCSS
p.m., TASSS @ PHHS (jr/sr); SPCSS @ CCI (jr/sr); CSS @ SMCSS (jr) p.m., ASCVI @ SMCSS (sr) they are looking for for academic, social and personal reasons. They could all be personal reasons as far as the person is considered,” she said.
McFarlane is ineligible for 12 months, from his date of enrolment, to compete in the sports he participated in at his former school.
He can resume football and rugby in Grade 11. In the meantime, Sicard said he’ll compete in wrestling and try out for the junior basketball and badminton teams. pm., SPCSS @ HHSS (jr/sr) p.m., FFSS @ KCVI (jr) p.m., ASCVI @ TASSS (jr/sr) p.m., SMCSS @ TASSS (sr/jr); CCI @ HCCSS (sr/jr); IEW @ LCVI (sr) p.m., IEW @ ASCVI (jr)