Charlestown Azzurri coach Graham Law said it was a shame long-serving skipper Matt Tull's farewell had been cut short after the midfielder was handed a five-game ban this week.
Tull, who turns 35 next week, is finishing his NPL career this year after more than a dozen seasons and 200-plus games for the club.
In a 4-0 loss last Sunday to Valentine at Lisle Carr Oval, Tull was given a straight red card in the 39th minute after an off-the-ball tangle with Phoenix skipper Harry Lane. Both players ended up on the ground and Tull was sent off based an assistant referee's report. The violent conduct charge carries a minimum two-match suspension, but Tull was given an additional three games for allegedly swearing at the linesman while leaving the pitch.
Azzurri sit fourth with one game to play, and even if they make the grand final, Tull will still be suspended. Given the ban is for match official abuse, Tull is also not allowed to attend matches.
"That's him done now and it's a shame," Law said.
"He's been a good servant to the club and he's been a great captain for me as well."
Tull made his debut with Azzurri before they were ousted from the revamped Northern NSW State League in 2009, despite making the 2008 grand final.
He had a season at Valentine, then Olympic, before returning to help the merged Azzurri-Charlestown gain promotion to first division for 2012. He has been with Charlestown since and was skipper for several seasons.
Charlestown (33 points) take on leaders Lambton Jaffas (37) on Saturday at Edden Oval needing a result to book a top-five finals berth.
The loss of Tull, and Harry Frendo on card accumulation, are blows for Azzurri but they regain former A-League players Taylor Regan and Jacob Melling on Saturday.
Regan is back from a one-game ban for match official abuse. He gained a lesser sanction because his dissent was a second yellow card offence. Valentine's Matt Thompson and Nick Cowburn also copped just one-match bans for match official abuse this year because they received two bookings.
Like Tull, Cooks Hill's Josh Benson copped a heavier ban - four games - because his abuse earned a straight red.
Fifth-placed Olympic (31) and Valentine (31) also have just one game remaining in the regular season. Olympic play Weston and Valentine meet Edgeworth on September 4. Edgeworth (29) are two points further back but have two matches left. They face Maitland (36) on Saturday.
