Former Gaza Football Club coach Andrew Jarman denies allegedly instigating illegal sign-on payments that led to $380,000 fine

A South Australian footy hero allegedly instigated illegal sign-on payments that led to a club’s record fine for salary cap breaches.

South Australian footy icon and former Gaza Football Club coach Andrew Jarman allegedly instigated an illegal sign-on payment arrangement that contributed to his childhood club being fined hundreds of thousands of dollars and stripped of premiership points, it can be revealed.

The Sunday Mail can also reveal the SANFL failed to investigate the allegations levelled at the popular Adelaide personality in the early stages of its investigation into Gaza’s alleged salary cap breaches.

In a statement to the SANFL in March, former Gaza captain Brett Heintze identified Jarman as the orchestrator of the arrangement, under which Mr Heintze received a $4000 sign-on payment to play for the club.

But Jarman said he was not aware of any allegations, which he emphatically denied, until contacted by the Sunday Mail for comment.

“I have never been investigated,” Jarman said.

“It’s disappointing to hear.”

In September, the SANFL fined the club $380,000 for alleged salary cap breaches between 2018 and 2022, which included the sign-on payments to Mr Heintze, as well as matchday payments to several other players.

It is understood Mr Heintze was the only player who received the sign-on payment and the majority of the breaches relate to weekly player payments.

The SANFL did not investigate allegations South Australian footy icon and former Gaza Football Club coach Andrew Jarman instigated an illegal sign-on payment arrangement before fining the club hundreds of thousands of dollars and stripping it of premiership points for salary cap breaches. Picture: Dean Martin

Under the regulations, weekly match payments paid by a club cannot exceed $2500 and sign-on payments are banned.

In a statement, the SANFL said the club had been “charged with offences relating to serious breaches of the SANFL Community Football Player Payments regulations”.

Mr Heintze alleged that the sign-on payments began in 2018 when Jarman, who won two Magarey Medals and is an Adelaide Football Club life member, was coaching the club.

Mr Heintze told SANFL integrity officers Jarman approached him before the 2018 season offering a $4000 sign on payment as an incentive when he expressed interest in leaving Gaza after he was offered full immunity from any potential SANFL prosecution.

“He was the one I spoke to,” Mr Heintze said.

“I spoke to him rather than the (club) committee.”

Jarman has denied any knowledge of the sign-on payments.

“We never did sign-on fees,” he said.

Gaza president Don Rosella was also banned from holding an official position with any SANFL-affiliated club for 10 years as a result of the investigation.

Gaza Football Club, which has denied any wrongdoing or having any knowledge of the sign-on payments, is appealing against the penalties.

Gaza Football Club lawyer Greg Griffin said the SANFL’s investigation was “deeply flawed”. Picture: Ben Clark

The club’s lawyer Greg Griffin said the SANFL’s investigation into the alleged breaches was “deeply flawed” and that the investigators’ process was “unsafe”.

Mr Griffin said it was “deeply troubling” that Jarman had not been asked to provide a statement despite Mr Heintze’s allegations.

“That’s a key missing link in the chain of evidence,” he said.

“I want to know whether there is a statement and if so I want it, and if there isn’t a statement I want to know why there isn’t one.

“It’s a gaping flaw in the chain of evidence in this prosecution.

“They’re not giving us the full story.

“We are entitled to know the full facts.”

Adelaide Footy League chief executive John Kernahan said the league’s “satisfaction of the investigation can be assessed once all parties have had their opportunity to be heard”.

The SANFL declined to comment on its investigation or the allegations against Jarman.