Gaza being their own worst enemy anyway - did I hear that if they co-operated with the CFB, they would've had majority of the fine suspended - and then provided a payment plan for the remainder?
Surely when you're staring down the barrel of something so significant, you swallow your pride, admit you messed up, plead for mercy and leniency and work with the powers that be to come to a resolution that works for all?
Can't imagine SANFL want to be seen as responsible for forcing the closure of a club that's 120yrs old.. but with the course Gaza are taking, they're not leaving much choice.
Dolphin Treasure wrote:Your an attention seeking embarsement..
Gaza Football Club salary cap SANFL appeal hearing set for January
A local footy club fighting charges for alleged salary cap breaches over multiple years remains confident it will be cleared of any wrongdoing with an appeal hearing date now set.
A local SA footy club facing a record fine for alleged salary cap breaches remains confident it will beat the charges, with an appeal hearing timeline now set.
Division four Adelaide Footy League club Gaza has appealed charges made by SANFL of alleged breaches dating back to 2018.
The club faces penalties of an SA sport record $380,000 fine, a reduction in premiership and player points for season 2024, and the suspension of club officials including a 10-year ban for president Don Rosella.
A ‘Directions Hearing’ for the appeal was held by SANFL on Wednesday, during which it determined the appeal would go to a hearing in January.
“Following a Directions Hearing regarding the Gaza FC salary cap breaches, the SANFL can confirm the matter, including all sanctions imposed on the club, will now go to a hearing before the independent SANFL Salary Cap Commissioner to be held in January,” a SANFL spokesman said.
“The club had the opportunity to co-operate with the SANFL, including providing an early guilty plea, but has chosen to challenge the charges.
“SANFL will therefore not be making any further comment at this point in time.”
Gaza enlisted high-profile SA lawyer Greg Griffin to lead its appeal in early September, a week after the charges were laid by SANFL.
Griffin said the club was adamant it did not breach salary cap rules and regulations and remained confident it would win its appeal, labelling SANFL’s evidence against the Eagles as unreliable.
“There are some serious issues that have become evident as to the reliability of the evidence or the statements relied upon by the SANFL and the process that the investigators have undertaken,” Griffin said.
“There has been great reliance placed upon statements given by a number of former players in support of each other which are implausible and unproved.
“We have already done a significant body of work which renders many of the matters raised as being improbable.”
Griffin also said he and the club would be cross examining witnesses in the appeal.
“We’ll be exercising our rights to cross examine any of the witnesses who have given a statement in the investigation as we feel there are very good reasons to test the evidence.
“Gaza is a good, strong and hard suburban football club and to suggest they had the financial capacity to pay the money these players are asserting they were given is nonsensical.”
The Gaza Football Club was founded in 1903 and has won six premierships, with the most recent being its 2011 division one flag.
The Eagles were relegated to division three at the end of season 2022 and have been relegated to division four for season 2024.
The club recently signed new coach Mark Kamenic in preparation for 2024.
Footy legend Andrew Jarman has denied claims he instigated an illegal signon payment arrangement that led to his childhood club being fined $380,000
and stripped of premiership points.
The Sunday Mail can also disclose that SANFL did not investigate the
allegations involving the former coach of the Gaza Football Club in the early
stages of its probe into alleged salary cap breaches.
In a statement to the SANFL in March, former Gaza captain Brett Heintze
identified Mr Jarman as the alleged orchestrator of the arrangement, under
which Mr Heintze received a $4000 sign-on payment to play for the club.
But Mr Jarman said he was not aware of any allegations, which he has
emphatically denied, until contacted by the Sunday Mail for comment.
“I have never been investigated. It’s disappointing to hear,” he said. In
September, SANFL fined the club $380,000 for alleged salary cap breaches
between 2018 and 2022, which included the sign-on payments to Mr Heintze,
as well as matchday payments to several other players. It is understood Mr
Heintze was the only player who received the sign-on payment and the
majority of the breaches relate to weekly player payments.
Under the regulations, weekly match payments paid by a club cannot exceed
$2500 and sign-on payments are banned. In a statement, the SANFL said the
club had been “charged with offences relating to serious breaches of the
SANFL Community Football Player Payments regulations”.
Mr Heintze alleged that the sign-on payments began in 2018 when Mr
Jarman, who won two Magarey Medals and is an Adelaide Football Club life
member, was coaching the club.
Mr Heintze told SANFL integrity officers Mr Jarman approached him before
the 2018 season offering a $4000 sign on payment as an incentive when he
expressed interest in leaving Gaza after he was offered full immunity from
any potential SANFL prosecution.
“He was the one I spoke to,” Mr Heintze said.
“I spoke to him rather than the (club) committee.”
Mr Jarman has denied any knowledge of the sign-on payments.
“We never did sign-on fees,” he said.
Gaza president Don Rosella was also banned from holding an official position
with any SANFL-affiliated club for 10 years as a result of the investigation.
Gaza Football Club, which has denied any wrongdoing or having any
knowledge of the sign-on payments, is appealing against the penalties.
The club’s lawyer Greg Griffin said the SANFL’s investigation into the alleged
breaches was “deeply flawed” and that the investigators’ process was
“unsafe”.
Mr Griffin said it was “deeply troubling” that Jarman had not been asked to
provide a statement despite Mr Heintze’s allegations.
The SANFL declined to comment on its investigation or the allegations
against Mr Jarman.
Was only a matter of time before the coach was bought in to the shit fight.
From my experience he's given parameters by the committee on what resources are available for recruitment purposes.
He then approaches the player.
Could be in some strife Mr Jarman but it's a he said he said argument that'll be hard to prove.
Lawyers for the state’s peak footballing body this week confirmed charges against the Gaza Football Club over alleged illegal sign-on payments made to former captain Brett Heintze in the 2018 and 2019 Adelaide Footy League season would be dropped.
Armchair expert wrote:Lawyers for the state’s peak footballing body this week confirmed charges against the Gaza Football Club over alleged illegal sign-on payments made to former captain Brett Heintze in the 2018 and 2019 Adelaide Footy League season would be dropped.
The SANFL has dropped several charges laid against an amateur footy club, effectively clearing a South Australian football icon of any wrongdoing.
Lawyers for the state’s peak footballing body this week confirmed charges against the Gaza Football Club over alleged illegal sign-on payments made to former captain Brett Heintze in the 2018 and 2019 Adelaide Footy League season would be dropped.
The league will continue with charges related to alleged overpayments in those seasons, as well as charges over the payment of alleged $4000 sign-on fees in 2021 and 2022. Neither the Gaza Football Club nor any individuals involved is accused of any criminal wrongdoing.
The dropping of the football charges effectively clears South Australian football legend and former Gaza Football Club head coach Andrew Jarman of any wrongdoing despite Mr Heintze alleging the sporting icon orchestrated the sign-on payment arrangement.
Mr Heintze told SANFL integrity officers Mr Jarman approached him before the 2018 season offering a $4000 sign on payment as an incentive when he expressed interest in leaving Gaza after he was offered full immunity from any potential SANFL prosecution.
He was the one I spoke to,” Mr Heintze said.
The Sunday Mail last year revealed the SANFL had not investigated the allegations against Mr Jarman during its probe into the Gaza Football Club.
The club was hit with a record $380,000 fine in September over the alleged salary cap breaches between 2018 and 2022, which included the sign-on payments to Mr Heintze, as well as matchday payments to several other players.
Mr Jarman left the club in 2018.
“I have never been investigated,” Mr Jarman told the Sunday Mail last year in response to Mr Heintze’s allegations.
Mr Jarman denied any knowledge of the sign-on payments.
He did not respond to the Sunday Mail’s request for comment on Saturday.
Gaza Football Club’s lawyer Greg Griffin said the SANFL’s prosecution of the club was “disgraceful”.
Mr Griffin said the prosecution had been “calamitous” for the club.
“The entire prosecution stands in tatters,” Mr Griffin said.
The SANFL has previously declined to comment on its investigation or the allegations against Mr Jarman.
The Gaza Football Club, which has denied any wrongdoing, is appealing the record penalty, most of which is understood to be related to overpayments across the four seasons.
It is understood Mr Heintze was the only player who received the sign-on payment and the majority of the breaches relate to weekly player payments.
The club’s appeal will continue at a hearing on Monday.
