Salary Cap Investigations

[DOC]

Have to justify 20 integrity officers somehow.

What a disgrace. Filling in the reserves FFS. Should be congratulated not hounded.

[LaughingKookaburra]

There would be more than just the 1 club in that league who would be destroying the Salary Cap. 90% of the leagues in Vic would have offenders in them both metro and country. Blokes don’t travel 3-400 kms a week and bypass 2-3 leagues on the way for “just” $4-500 per week. I know of clubs in Vic country offering multiple people $2000+ per week. The coin that goes around across the border is unreal but you’d be nieve to think it doesn’t still happen in SA too - Maybe the amounts not as common, but it still goes on.

What blows my mind is the resources available to the Clubs in what's essentially a metro Melbourne League.

Wouldn't be a metropolitan club in Adelaide that could get near that kind of salary cap.

Yeah that absolutely is a staggering cap for a Suburban Footy Club. Their set up is better than most SANFL clubs and would get an absolute truckload of cash pumped in to them. You are right when you say that no Suburban Club in SA would be close to that and if they were then good luck to them. $10,000+ a week in match payments is mind blowing for a City club and in Vic Country some clubs would be doubling that.

[Mr Beefy]

There would be more than just the 1 club in that league who would be destroying the Salary Cap. 90% of the leagues in Vic would have offenders in them both metro and country. Blokes don’t travel 3-400 kms a week and bypass 2-3 leagues on the way for “just” $4-500 per week. I know of clubs in Vic country offering multiple people $2000+ per week. The coin that goes around across the border is unreal but you’d be nieve to think it doesn’t still happen in SA too - Maybe the amounts not as common, but it still goes on.

What blows my mind is the resources available to the Clubs in what's essentially a metro Melbourne League.

Wouldn't be a metropolitan club in Adelaide that could get near that kind of salary cap.

Yeah that absolutely is a staggering cap for a Suburban Footy Club. Their set up is better than most SANFL clubs and would get an absolute truckload of cash pumped in to them. You are right when you say that no Suburban Club in SA would be close to that and if they were then good luck to them. $10,000+ a week in match payments is mind blowing for a City club and in Vic Country some clubs would be doubling that.

The metro caps are higher than the country caps. I think the Geelong FL is the highest cap and its less than city caps

[jo172]

Great result out of the CFL with the Adelaide Footy League TPPS being almost identical to the broader CFL one next year.

Understand the purpose of stat decs for everyone, but after 2020 I would have thought the last thing clubs need is to be burdened with more administrative work.

[jo172]

https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/messenger/adelaide-hills-murraylands/river-murray-football-league-club-jervois-cops-massive-penalty-for-salary-cap-breaches/news-story/c3c73517f2a305b69639d73314aca63c

River Murray Football League club Jervois cops massive penalty for salary cap breaches
River Murray Football League powerhouse Jervois has copped a whopping penalty for salary cap breaches ahead of the 2023 season. S
Carl Pfeiffer
and
Daniel Renfrey

April 11, 2023 - 3:51PM
The Messenger
Adelaide Hills & Murraylands

River Murray Football League club Jervois has been revealed as the country footy side found guilty of salary cap breaches, with the club receiving a massive punishment.

The club has accepted a whopping $26,500 fine from the SANFL and will also receive the loss of premiership points and player points over the next two seasons.

The punishments are for breaches of player payment regulations in 2022.

Jervois will be stripped of four premiership points in 2023 and four points in season 2024, and will be limited to four points under the Approved Player Points System (APPS) for 2024 and 2025.

Charges for breaches of Player Payment Salary Cap regulations were laid by SANFL earlier this month against the club after an extensive investigation conducted by SANFL’s Integrity department.

The penalties were approved last week by the SA Football Commission before being formally accepted by the club.

The charges against the club were in relation to travel payments (including flights), which led to breaches of the match payment limit and failing to declare full payment details.

SANFL’s investigations found there were no breaches of the salary cap by the club in seasons 2020 and 2021, the years in which the Bluds won consecutive premierships in the RMFL.

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

SANFL Head of Country Football Shawn Ford said the penalties issued to Jervois were a reminder to all community football clubs that breaches of the salary cap regulations would 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,” he said.

“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.”

The SANFL last week confirmed “a number of salary cap investigations” regarding community clubs in SA were ongoing.

It’s understood the SANFL rang each RMFL club before the announcement and warned them a ruling was imminent.

The penalties are similar to the punishment handed to Kowree Naracoorte and Tatiara Football League club Kybybolite in 2019 after it breached player payment regulations by awarding players upfront sign-on payments.

The club was fined $18,350 by the SANFL and stripped of 16 premiership points for the next season.

The SANFL, RMFL and Jervois were contacted for comment.

Full summary of Jervois salary cap penalties
$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).

Interesting, Cash and APPS penalties seem severe, the premiership points penalties seem a tad trifling.

[Armchair expert]

Where are they flying players in from?

[shoe boy]

Where are they flying players in from?

Darwin

[Armchair expert]

Where are they flying players in from?

Darwin

Worlds gone mad

Must have been paid an absolute packet

[Killa]

Hearing more RMFL had similar breaches but not as severe. I have heard a successful SGFL Club in the past 6 years is also being investigated salary cap breaches.

[Armchair expert]

Hearing more RMFL had similar breaches but not as severe. I have heard a successful SGFL Club in the past 6 years is also being investigated salary cap breaches.

From Port Augusta?

[Killa]

Hearing more RMFL had similar breaches but not as severe. I have heard a successful SGFL Club in the past 6 years is also being investigated salary cap breaches.

From Port Augusta?

Correct, but have not heard much more about this.

[jo172]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgavBxjaOC0&ab_channel=ABCNews%28Australia%29

Nothing new to anyone on here, but interesting

[Jimmy_041]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgavBxjaOC0&ab_channel=ABCNews%28Australia%29

Nothing new to anyone on here, but interesting

There is also this one:

There is a strange juxtaposition with the salary cap.
The country leagues wanted it in to avoid their extinction but their clubs are pretty good at avoiding it
Well known fact that the death of a country town's footy side is devastating for the town.

[wenchbarwer]

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-07-10/match-payments-afl-victoria-country-football-netball-league/104023634

Article linked to the first youtube clip if anyone is keen

[Bluedemon]

Amazing that they have a salary cap of $120,000 in some Vic Country leagues

[LaughingKookaburra]

Don’t look at the metro Victorian leagues then…

[daysofourlives]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgavBxjaOC0&ab_channel=ABCNews%28Australia%29

Nothing new to anyone on here, but interesting

There is also this one:

There is a strange juxtaposition with the salary cap.
The country leagues wanted it in to avoid their extinction but their clubs are pretty good at avoiding it
Well known fact that the death of a country town's footy side is devastating for the town.

Not sure the country leagues wanted it in, more the SANFL and Amateurs that couldnt compete with the money in the near by country leagues

[Yank Man]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgavBxjaOC0&ab_channel=ABCNews%28Australia%29

Nothing new to anyone on here, but interesting

There is also this one:

There is a strange juxtaposition with the salary cap.
The country leagues wanted it in to avoid their extinction but their clubs are pretty good at avoiding it
Well known fact that the death of a country town's footy side is devastating for the town.

Not sure the country leagues wanted it in, more the SANFL and Amateurs that couldnt compete with the money in the near by country leagues

I think you’ll find Jimmy is talking about Victorian country leagues.

[LaughingKookaburra]

Where do you start with salary caps in country footy? Each club is unique with their finances and how they generate income. Some community clubs own land that the local community donates their resources to. A good year is massive $$$ and other years it’s less. Other towns have a massive cash cow who donate massive $ year on end. The end of the day the biggest killer in country footy are farmers/fruit growers that get bigger every year with improved technology. Less employment = Less players.

For the record the large majority of Vic Country clubs and local community “donators” at some stage would have bent (some absolutely pissed on) the salary cap rules in place. I’d also bet that in some cases there would be key club stake holders unaware of what is going on (or turning a blind eye).

[Jimmy_041]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgavBxjaOC0&ab_channel=ABCNews%28Australia%29

Nothing new to anyone on here, but interesting

There is also this one:

There is a strange juxtaposition with the salary cap.
The country leagues wanted it in to avoid their extinction but their clubs are pretty good at avoiding it
Well known fact that the death of a country town's footy side is devastating for the town.

Not sure the country leagues wanted it in, more the SANFL and Amateurs that couldnt compete with the money in the near by country leagues

I assume you are talking from a country club knowledge because that is wrong
I was relatively new on the General Committee (Club Delegates) when the salary cap / points system was being discussed at CFL level.

IIRC:
The SAAFL were not considering it at that time because it was not a major threat to the League’s long term existence (I may be being kind about some officers at the time)

It had been adopted by several country leagues because their league officers were highly concerned that the pay explosion would kill many country clubs, and eventually leagues.

At a GC meeting, Shippy (SANFL) & Glen Rosser (CFL) told us that we needed to DO IT “for the good of the game & SA football” & that most country clubs had signed up for it.

Next, Nobby Symes (BLG) stood in front of us & said if we didn’t agree to it “all SAAFL players would be salary cap & points exempt for country clubs and we’ve got fat cheque books”

I remember looking at the blokes next to me going: WTF!

I’m quite happy for anyone, who was there that night, to correct me because I haven’t pulled out my file notes from the night - but to say the SAAFL wanted it is BS.

As I became more involved with SA footy, I found out the country league officials were the instigators of the move to avoid the destruction of smaller country clubs, and eventually leagues.

If the SAAFL wasn’t the last league to sign up, then it was certainly one of the last.