Salisbury North back in Adelaide Footy League in 2019 after being expelled
IT’S game on again for Salisbury North Football Club. The club has received the news it will be welcomed back into the Adelaide Footy League after a meeting last week.
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IT’S game on again for Salisbury North Football Club. The club has received the news it will be welcomed back into the Adelaide Footy League after a meeting last week.
The Hawks were expelled from the 2018 competition following Alex Stengle’s five-match suspension for striking in an A-grade game against Unley Mercedes Jets in June.
At the time, the division two club had been on notice with the league following disciplinary problems in 2013.
The league has yet to finalise the conditions under which the club will be allowed to play next year.
But after last week’s meeting, Salisbury North code of conduct officer Jamie Russo said he could not be happier with the outcome.
Mr Russo said the club did not condone thuggery in any form.
He said everyone at the club — senior players, juniors, officials and spectators — would have to abide by the same set of rules.
“If they can’t then we don’t want them here,” Mr Russo said. “We intend to get on the front foot on this one.”
Mr Russo said the big issue now would be to get players back to the club.
When it was expelled from the league, Salisbury North released its players to let them go to other clubs.
“We allowed them to go and play elsewhere. We want them back,” Mr Russo said.
In a show of support for the club last week, Salisbury Mayor Gillian Aldridge, deputy mayor Linda Caruso and councillors Chad Buchanan and Julie Woodman met with club officials.
Ms Aldridge said afterwards it was important for the council to show it was listening to the club’s concerns.
“Not just for the players and officials, but for the mums and dads involved with the club,” Ms Aldridge said.
“They are there at the weekend helping out at the canteen, supporting their children — and you have to think of the morale of the young players, too, when something like this happens.
“Whatever happens here goes way beyond the top team, there is a knock-on effect on the wider community.”