The Greens were top of the ladder when AWFA went into recess, leading Wangaratta on goal-difference in what had become a thrilling title race.

Boasting the league's best attack and meanest defence, United (+46) would have trumped the Devils (+39) at the end of a regular season but the league's management committee decided it would award league champions on 'points only'.

"When I first heard, I was a bit frustrated," United coach Matt Campbell admitted.

"I thought the rules were pretty clear on who wins the title; it's based on points first and goal-difference second.

"I thought we deserved to be out there on our own but obviously there's been some discussions in the AWFA meeting to water that down.

"In a hundred years' time, when someone looks back at the league ladder for 2021, it's still going to show us sitting on top.

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"But the boys were really keen to be awarded that title.

"We understand there's been things outside anyone's control that have influenced that but I didn't think it would come to a vote of the executive or the management committee."

It's been a job well done by Campbell, though, in the first year of his second spell as United coach.

"My challenge was to turn a reasonably strong team into the winner of the competition and we got as close as we could," he said.

"Credit to the players because they're the ones who have done it.

"They're a great group and I can't fault their effort or attitude."

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