Salisbury North pledges to return to Adelaide Footy League after being kicked out for history of poor on-field behaviour

SALISBURY North is vowing to bounce back stronger next year after accepting the Adelaide Footy League’s decision to turf it out of the competition.

• Adelaide Footy League suspends Salisbury North for rest of 2018
• Salisbury North loses premiership points after player’s four-game ban
• Salisbury North docked eight premiership points in all senior grades

SALISBURY North is vowing to bounce back stronger next year after accepting the Adelaide Footy League’s decision to turf it out of the competition.

The league yesterday suspended all three of Salisbury North’s teams for the rest of 2018 because of the club’s history of poor on-field behaviour.

It followed the league’s tribunal handing an eight-week ban to Alex Stengle for striking Unley Mercedes player James Khabbaz in their division two match at Kingswood Oval on Saturday.

Salisbury North’s Alex Stengle. Picture Sarah Reed.

Salisbury North president David Hood said Hawks players and officials held an emotional meeting last night at the club, where they committed to rebuilding towards 2019.

Eleven Salisbury North players, including nine A-graders, have already applied for clearances to join other teams but Hood was confident “99 per cent” would return if the club was allowed to rejoin the league next year.

“This morning I feel so relieved in a way because I know from last night that this group is going to come back stronger,” Hood said.

“In a weird way, this whole situation is a good thing for the club.

“We hope it will be some short-term loss for the long-term gain of us becoming a better footy club.”

Salisbury North has been on notice with the league since three players and a former coach received suspensions from the 2013 division one grand final replay.

The league stripped the Bagster Rd club of eight premiership points in 2015, four in 2016 and 10 last season after its players were suspended.

Salisbury North players huddle before a game in 2016. Picture: Sarah Reed.

Before the start of this season, Salisbury North signed an agreement with the league that stated it would be expelled from the competition if a player, official, member or supporter was found guilty of an offence considered serious enough in nature.

Hood said the club needed to make changes in “certain departments … but we as a committee can’t do everything”.

“The playing group also has to make changes and take ownership,” he said.

Hood said the club would appeal Stengle’s ban, which resulted in him being deregistered for exceeding the league’s 12-game suspension threshold.

Stengle – the division one best and fairest in 2011 — had never previously been suspended in the Adelaide Footy League but copped a six-match ban for striking while playing for Central District’s reserves in 2005.

Alex Stengle in action at Salisbury North Oval in 2016. Picture: Stephen Laffer.

Hood said the club wanted Stengle’s ban reduced so he could continue to play in the league.

Stengle can move to other competitions because he has not reached the 16-game threshold of football’s national deregistration policy.

“You look at what he’s done between then (the Central District suspension) and now, to get eight weeks for striking is way over the top,” Hood said.

“We owe it to Alex for the service he has given to our club to support him with that (appeal).

“He spoke last night and it was quite emotional, but everybody there supported him 100 per cent.”

Salisbury North had been fifth on the division two ladder with a 5-5 record after the weekend.

It was relegated from division one at the end of last season for the first time in 16 years.

League chief executive John Kernahan said Salisbury North was welcome to apply for reaffiliation for the 2019 season but the club would need to meet certain criteria and clearly identify “how they might continue to be a member of this league without a reoccurrence”.