There you go cobba.

North Pines avoids expulsion from Adelaide Football League, but hires security to keep players safe

A NORTHERN suburbs football club will employ a security guard at all homes games after one of its volunteers ran on the field and punched an opposition player in the face.

The Adelaide Football League had considered banning North Pines Football Club for the rest of the season but decided to give it one more chance, following a meeting with club officials on Monday.

North Pines will have to pay a $2500 fine before it can return to action.

The league has also vowed to banish the club for the remainder of the 2017 season if the tribunal finds a North Pines player or official guilty of any further offence this year.

In a self-imposed penalty, the club will have a security guard at all home games between 2pm and 5pm until at least the end of 2019.

The sanctions follow a North Pines matchday official being suspended on Thursday night for two counts of striking a St Paul’s Old Scholars footballer during a division seven match at Andrew Smith Reserve last month, and bans to two North Pines players from the same game.

League chief executive John Kernahan said the governing body supported North Pines staying in the competition but the club was on notice.

Other conditions imposed include the right for the league to move any of the club’s home games to either Thebarton Oval or an opponent’s ground, and suspending a further $2500 fine until the end of the 2019 season.

North Pines was also in hot water with the league in 2014 after a series of suspensions, including:

■ Former South Adelaide player Damian Rigney being suspended for 32 games — leading to a life ban — for racial vilification, umpire abuse and attempting to headbutt an umpire;

■ Coach Farin Wanganeen receiving a 12-month ban for umpire abuse and intimidation;

■ Player Kristian Newchurch for four games for umpire abuse, and;

■ Teammate Brenton Reid for three games for striking and abusive language to an umpire.

North Pines president Chad Buchanan said the club was under no illusions it was on its final chance.

“We take a zero-tolerance stance to core behaviour and the club makes no apologies for banning and suspending players and some spectators previously,” Buchanan said.

“We will continue to do that in partnership with the league to ensure we have a safe environment for all spectators, officials and players to enjoy.

“It’s important that we address any perception regarding people’s safety.”

The league forced North Pines to forfeit its clash with Flinders University on Saturday (May 27)

If it pays its fine, North Pines will resume against Para Hills at Andrew Smith Reserve this Saturday.

Kernahan urged North Pines members to become volunteers at the club to help it remain viable.

“Like many of our clubs, it has become very apparent they are managed by too few and when that happens, history tells us the stress levels on their structure starts to break down,” he said.

AFL are more interested in promoting dyke (oops sorry may offend some - awful) footy.. That is where the money will go.. Ultimately it will be academies to the detriment of footy in general. Gilligans social dream
But it's OK to pay a bunch of middle aged blokes to run around in low divisions, and then come home and speculate on a discussion board about how much other middle aged blokes get paid to play low division footy. Pull your head in.