Kybybolite fined and penalised premiership points for player payment breaches

A Kowree-Naracoorte-Tatiara footy league club has been heavily fined and stripped of premiership points after being found guilty of breaches of player payment regulations.

Lachlan McGregor (left) has been banned for eight games and fined. Picture: Tom Huntley

South East club Kybybolite has been hit with a $18,350 fine and stripped of premiership points after being found guilty for breaches of player payment regulations.

And the former Woodville-West Torrens and Glenelg small forward Lachlan McGregor has been suspended for eight games and fined $3500 for accepting sign-on payments.

SANFL Community Football laid charges against the Kowree-Naracoorte-Tatiara Football League club, McGregor, another player whose name has been suppressed, former senior coach Tim Leehane and club official John Cooper following an investigation by SANFL’s Player Payments Investigation Committee.

McGregor is the first player to be sanctioned under the salary cap regulations.

The charges relate to upfront sign-on payments and offers made to three players in the lead up to the 2018 season, along with a breach of the match payment limit and failing to declare full payment details.

Cooper has been suspended for three years from holding any official role with an affiliated league or club and fined $2,000 and Leehane was suspended for 12 months from holding any official role with an affiliated league or club and fined $1,000.

McGregor had $1,000 of his fine suspended, while an unnamed player was fined $1,500, of which $1,000 is suspended, and banned for two matches.

The club, which has had $6000 of its fine suspended until the end of the 2021 season, has been stripped of 16 points, the equivalent of four wins, this season and lost four Approved Player Points System points in both seasons 2019 and 2020.

SANFL Community Football manager Matt Duldig said the penalties were a reminder to all

community football clubs that breaches of the salary cap regulations will be taken extremely seriously.

“The regulations, which are clear in not permitting any sign-on payments for players, have been in place for the past three years and there is no excuse for any player or official breaching these rules,” he said.

Last year, Barossa Light & Gawler Football Association club Willaston was fined $8000, docked six premiership points and lost three APPS points for upfront payments of $3000 to former AFL player Josh Glenn.