Gaza FC - Salary Cap Breaches

[Brodlach]

$50k more than what the Crows were fined for the Kurt Tippet debacle

Inflation, war in Ukraine, Yes vote, COVID all contributors

[Dutchy]

Most recent one was Jervois, statement below - seems a huge difference depending if the club co-operates or not, which is fair



Club officials and players involved fully co-operated throughout the investigation and this was reflected in the penalties and sanctions imposed.

A summary of the penalties is as follows:

$26,500 fine ($9,500 of which is suspended)
Limited to a total of four points allocated under the Approved Player Points System (APPS) in both season 2024 and 2025
Loss of 8 premiership points in 2023 and 2024 (four points per year).


SANFL Head of Country Football Shawn Ford said:

“The penalties issued to Jervois Football Club are a reminder to all community football clubs that breaches of the salary cap regulations will be comprehensively investigated by the SANFL Integrity and Compliance department.

“The Club, led by newly appointed President Zane Barry, has been fully co-operative throughout the investigation. The current Executive of the Club also has demonstrated a commitment to improving internal controls and taking the club in a positive direction.

“The club’s co-operation, including that of the officials and players who were the subject of the various salary cap breaches, have been taken into consideration with the imposed sanctions. Furthermore, no charges were brought against the individual offending players and officials.

“The Salary Cap regulations have been in place for some time and there is no excuse for any player or official breaching these rules.

“It is crucial that all those involved in Community Football are aware that it is everyone’s responsibility to ensure compliance with Salary Cap Regulations including club officials and players.”

[scottroo]

With fines for breaches being dollar for dollar, it seems that GAZA have been $70,000 over the cap since 2018

Crazy

[Mr Beefy]

$300k fine for anything involving semi amateur sport seems extremely excessive, feel for the junior football program which will suffer as a result.

EDIT - be ready for the deluge of players that will self report before the clubs can do it...

It's curious isn't it.

I've been expecting the deluge every time a club has been pinged (Padthaway and Willaston for example) but it's never seemed to come for whatever reason.

A lot of players wouldn't even know the rules

[jo172]

$300k fine for anything involving semi amateur sport seems extremely excessive, feel for the junior football program which will suffer as a result.

EDIT - be ready for the deluge of players that will self report before the clubs can do it...

It's curious isn't it.

I've been expecting the deluge every time a club has been pinged (Padthaway and Willaston for example) but it's never seemed to come for whatever reason.

A lot of players wouldn't even know the rules

My memory is spotty, but I think players are supposed to sign a stat dec when they sign their contract saying that the contract reflects all they're getting or something to that effect?

If you're getting/taking extra as a player it's hard to think you're not complicit (and in someways as complicit)

[jo172]

Wonder how the 2 players are feeling now?

Two players?

Rumours that 2 disgruntled players who wanted to be cleared, self reported about payments they have been receiving, which started the domino's

Isn't this the same way Willaston were caught out?

[whufc]

Might also add that for an offence apparently so serious to warrant an extraordinary fine/huge suspensions that 4 APPS points seems a bit trifling? One player a year?

Yep 100%.

Real misalignment between the financial fine and the players fine.

Personally if the breaches were 'so serious' then imo a fair result would be the club can still operate but they would have next to no points (which can be tracked through APPS) and that we would see them drop through down through the grades.

At the moment its hard to see how they would open the doors with such a fine.

[redyellow&blue]

Might also add that for an offence apparently so serious to warrant an extraordinary fine/huge suspensions that 4 APPS points seems a bit trifling? One player a year?

Yep 100%.

Real misalignment between the financial fine and the players fine.

Personally if the breaches were 'so serious' then imo a fair result would be the club can still operate but they would have next to no points (which can be tracked through APPS) and that we would see them drop through down through the grades.

At the moment its hard to see how they would open the doors with such a fine.

No one learns that way. Why would it be fair? how many clubs would have lost or been relegated because GAZA were not playing fair by being over the cap and rorting the system?


I would hazard a guess that GAZA have
- been over the cap by big $$ for more then before 2018
- it's endemic at the club with multiple parties involved.
- It's cultural at some clubs to do this kind of thing.

Id' go as far to even suspend the players that got extra payments from playing in any comp anywhere for a year, and ban then from being allowed to sign contracts for 5 years. You want to play? play for free champ.

[Mr Beefy]

Might also add that for an offence apparently so serious to warrant an extraordinary fine/huge suspensions that 4 APPS points seems a bit trifling? One player a year?

Yep 100%.

Real misalignment between the financial fine and the players fine.

Personally if the breaches were 'so serious' then imo a fair result would be the club can still operate but they would have next to no points (which can be tracked through APPS) and that we would see them drop through down through the grades.

At the moment its hard to see how they would open the doors with such a fine.

I agree the fine is totally excessive, unless their books showed the could afford it. They are dropping down the grades even with the rorting

[jo172]

Might also add that for an offence apparently so serious to warrant an extraordinary fine/huge suspensions that 4 APPS points seems a bit trifling? One player a year?

Yep 100%.

Real misalignment between the financial fine and the players fine.

Personally if the breaches were 'so serious' then imo a fair result would be the club can still operate but they would have next to no points (which can be tracked through APPS) and that we would see them drop through down through the grades.

At the moment its hard to see how they would open the doors with such a fine.

I agree the fine is totally excessive, unless their books showed the could afford it. They are dropping down the grades even with the rorting

Tend to think this is the key.

Fine that could wipe out one club might be payable (but hurt) to another club. Not all numbers are created equally.

[whufc]

I'm just not a fan of the 'death penalty' for any club which I'm $350k would almost be, even with payment plans etc.

Main reason i don't like the death penalty is that an A Grade side is only one piece of a club, the juniors, women's teams, c grade, darts team etc don't deserve to be packed up and closed imo.

For mine the A Grade struggling for 5 or so years as they drop down the grades is a fairer punishment than doors shut. In saying that most clubs will struggle to survive with 5 years of relegations.

What would 0 points look like........would they still be able to field an A and B Grade if they had zero points for say 5 years.

[whufc]

Might also add that for an offence apparently so serious to warrant an extraordinary fine/huge suspensions that 4 APPS points seems a bit trifling? One player a year?

Yep 100%.

Real misalignment between the financial fine and the players fine.

Personally if the breaches were 'so serious' then imo a fair result would be the club can still operate but they would have next to no points (which can be tracked through APPS) and that we would see them drop through down through the grades.

At the moment its hard to see how they would open the doors with such a fine.

I agree the fine is totally excessive, unless their books showed the could afford it. They are dropping down the grades even with the rorting

Tend to think this is the key.

Fine that could wipe out one club might be payable (but hurt) to another club. Not all numbers are created equally.

Yeah that is fair enough for sure.

[whufc]

What would happen with the $350k.

Would it just sit in the coffers at HQ.....

Is there a better use for the $$$$$$. If SAAFL were receiving that amount of money i would expect them to outline exactly how that money is going to benefit football/juniors/clubs in the SAAFL. Not just the generic 'will go towards a sustainable comp' because you would never expect to strike gold with that level of money for nothing which it essentially is as the SAAFL weren't financially out of pocket from Gaza breaches (unless there is lawyer fees etc then its totally understandable)

[Mr Beefy]

What would happen with the $350k.

Would it just sit in the coffers at HQ.....

Is there a better use for the $$$$$$. If SAAFL were receiving that amount of money i would expect them to outline exactly how that money is going to benefit football/juniors/clubs in the SAAFL. Not just the generic 'will go towards a sustainable comp' because you would never expect to strike gold with that level of money for nothing which it essentially is as the SAAFL weren't financially out of pocket from Gaza breaches (unless there is lawyer fees etc then its totally understandable)

Its notgoing to the SAAFL, its going to SACFL/SANFL

[whufc]

What would happen with the $350k.

Would it just sit in the coffers at HQ.....

Is there a better use for the $$$$$$. If SAAFL were receiving that amount of money i would expect them to outline exactly how that money is going to benefit football/juniors/clubs in the SAAFL. Not just the generic 'will go towards a sustainable comp' because you would never expect to strike gold with that level of money for nothing which it essentially is as the SAAFL weren't financially out of pocket from Gaza breaches (unless there is lawyer fees etc then its totally understandable)

Its notgoing to the SAAFL, its going to SACFL/SANFL

Cheers for clarifying.

Feels like that kind of money could be used for a greater good if a club really needs to be fined that amount. I guess it just goes to SACFL/SANFL operating costs then.

[cracka]

Might also add that for an offence apparently so serious to warrant an extraordinary fine/huge suspensions that 4 APPS points seems a bit trifling? One player a year?

Yep 100%.

Real misalignment between the financial fine and the players fine.

Personally if the breaches were 'so serious' then imo a fair result would be the club can still operate but they would have next to no points (which can be tracked through APPS) and that we would see them drop through down through the grades.

At the moment its hard to see how they would open the doors with such a fine.

No one learns that way. Why would it be fair? how many clubs would have lost or been relegated because GAZA were not playing fair by being over the cap and rorting the system?


I would hazard a guess that GAZA have
- been over the cap by big $$ for more then before 2018
- it's endemic at the club with multiple parties involved.
- It's cultural at some clubs to do this kind of thing.

Id' go as far to even suspend the players that got extra payments from playing in any comp anywhere for a year, and ban then from being allowed to sign contracts for 5 years. You want to play? play for free champ.

That's what would p!ss me off if I was an administrator of a club. The players seem to get off without punishment. Very happy to take the money

[Jimmy_041]

$50k more than what the Crows were fined for the Kurt Tippet debacle

At least the Crows got something out of it - they got rid of Tippett

Gaza?

[jo172]

$50k more than what the Crows were fined for the Kurt Tippet debacle

At least the Crows got something out of it - they got rid of Tippett

Irony being (and to bring it back full circle to the AdFL) they were trying to get Jesse White in to cover their tracks!

If Jesse White comes for Tippett, he never gets a rough conduct charge at Collingwood, and last year's ******* around avoided!

[Footy Chick]

What would happen with the $350k.

Would it just sit in the coffers at HQ.....

Is there a better use for the $$$$$$. If SAAFL were receiving that amount of money i would expect them to outline exactly how that money is going to benefit football/juniors/clubs in the SAAFL. Not just the generic 'will go towards a sustainable comp' because you would never expect to strike gold with that level of money for nothing which it essentially is as the SAAFL weren't financially out of pocket from Gaza breaches (unless there is lawyer fees etc then its totally understandable)

WHOA... hold up.

This had nothing to do with the Adelaide Footy League, and they were kept independent of any investigations.

It's the South Australian Community Football League - which are a sub-committee of the SANFL.

AdFL only get told as a courtesy that one of their clubs is being investigated, I don't even think they're told WHO is being investigated until much later down the track.

[Turfie]

Gaza denied up to 18 clearances in the off season, many without grounds to do so. Clubs receiving the players had to go through tribunal hearings to allow the clearances, as Gaza either weren”t budging or were requesting large sums of money to allow the transfer. This is when the can opened by the club representatives, who in discussions with other clubs, leagues, tribunals, made statements about money. The players involved were 100% not the whistle blowers. Some players didn’t know. A player I know, who still plays for Gaza, got paid, seemingly within the rules but his payments were not then reported to the CFB. When asked, he answered honestly.