Andrew Jarman ‘gutted’ by Gaza salary cap breaches and $380,000 fine

SA footy icon and media personality Andrew Jarman says he is gutted over the potential demise of his childhood club as it faces a record fine for salary cap breaches.

SA football icon and media personality Andrew Jarman says he is gutted for the players and volunteers of his childhood club as it faces extinction after receiving a record fine for salary cap breaches.

Division four Adelaide Footy League club Gaza was fined $380,000 by the SANFL this week after investigations of a number of salary cap breaches dating back to 2018.

In a statement, SANFL said the club had made “serious breaches of the SANFL Community Football Player Payments regulations … during the 2018 to 2022 seasons including sign-on payments and match payments which significantly exceeded the maximum (amount) allowable.”

The club will also be stripped of player points used to recruit new players under the Approved Player Points System and would begin next season with a deduction of 12 premiership points.

The six-figure fine is the biggest in SA sports history and threatens Gaza’s future as a community club.

Andrew Jarman says he is gutted by the Gaza Football Club’s current situation. Picture Dean Martin

Jarman, who played his entire junior career with the Eagles with his brother Darren and returned to coach the club from 2015-2018, said he was shocked by the breaches and penalty.

“I’m extremely gutted, especially for a lot of our past players and hard working volunteers,” Jarman said.

“We are shocked with this decision and it will be the toughest period of our 120-year history.

“My thoughts are with our Gaza family involved and it must find a way to survive this challenging period.”

Under the SANFL’s latest Community Football Rules and Regulations, local suburban clubs are not to exceed a total amount of $2500 in player payments each week.

Andrew Jarman at the Gaza Football Club during his playing days. Picture: File

Clubs can also not exceed payment of $500 to a player per match, while coaches cannot be paid more than $20,000 a season.

Upfront or sign-on payments are not allowed.

Adelaide Footy League chief John Kernahan said the competition was hoping for an outcome that allow the club to survive.

“The Adelaide Footy League has no carriage over the penalty – the penalty guidelines set out in the SANFL regulations are well known - but what we do support is the regulations,” Kernahan said.

“The penalty is immaterial and only reflective of the breach as per the Rules and Regulations of the SANFL and we’re all subject to them.

“What we also support is there is every opportunity for the Gaza Football Club to defend itself against any allegations.

AdFL chief John Kernahan said the league hoped Gaza could survive into season 2024. Picture: Emma Brasier

“We don’t want to see any club in the position Gaza finds itself much less one of our own. We are desperately hoping the Gaza Football Club will co-operate with the investigation to dilute the possibility the club might be challenged to the point they can not be sustainable.

“Like any community, a club is the quintessential support structure for those around it to meet and socialise. The demise of any club of any code cuts through the fabric of our society.”

Club president Don Rosella has been handed a suspension of 10 years from holding any official role with a SANFL-affiliated club.

He confirmed the club would be appealing the decision.

“We will be appealing the decision and making it a legal issue if we need to.

“Gaza is a club made up of volunteers; this fine would effectively wipe the club off of the local footy universe.”

Gaza spent 14 straight years in division one from 2001-2014 during which it played in four grand finals and won two premierships (2003, 2011).

The club has since been relegated to division four, suffering relegations to division three and four through the past two seasons.