Gaza Football Club president Don Rosella denies all salary cap breach allegations at SANFL tribunal

Gaza Football Club’s president has been grilled over allegations his club had deliberately flouted player payments up to 169 times over four years.

The Gaza Football Club’s president has denied all allegations the club breached salary cap regulations over a number of years in a tribunal hearing with the SANFL.

Eagles’ president Mr Don Rosella, who is facing a potential 10-year suspension from holding an official role with a SANFL affiliated club, denied involvement in or knowledge of any of the nearly 170 allegations.

Lawyers Andrew Culshaw and Garry Palasis, representing the SANFL, arrive for the Gaza Football Club appeal. Picture: Mark Brake.

Represented by lawyer Greg Griffin, Mr Rosella told Justice Michael David KC he was shocked by the statements six players had provided to the SANFL claiming weekly overpayments of up to $600.

On Monday, the SANFL, represented by lawyers Andrew Culshaw and Garry Palasis alleged Gaza had deliberately flouted SANFL Community Football and Adelaide Footy League salary cap and player payment rules and regulations up to 169 times between 2018 and 2022, at one point spending over double the salary cap allowance of $2500 per week.

President of Gaza Football Club Don Rosella arrives for the hearing. Picture: Mark Brake

Mr Rosella, who became president of the Eagles in 2020 and has been privy to the club’s financial accounts since 2021, said the money could not have been sourced from the club.

“I’m alert to money going out of the club’s accounts and the money coming in from sponsors,” Mr Rosella said.

“It absolutely could not have come from the financial resources of the Gaza Sport and Community Club.”

Mr Rosella also revealed the financial hardships the club had been through since Covid, and claimed any money alleged to have been used in payments of players would have been spent in other areas.

“We have accumulated a debt of nearly $80,000,” he said.

“I’m flabbergasted – I never saw that amount of money and I would never agree to that.

“We had so many pressing issues at the club, if I had seen that amount of money in the club’s accounts I would have spent it on other issues, not on giving players extra money.”

Lawyer Greg Griffin is representing Gaza Football Club at the SANFL Tribunal at Adelaide Oval. Picture: Mark Brake

Mr Rosella denied being part of any alleged meetings with players and other officials to discuss extra payments on top of recorded contract payments.

He also denied allegations of upfront payments made to former players, claiming the $4000 concerned was a loan made to a player experiencing a personal predicament, which was never repaid to the club.

The tribunal hearing between Gaza and the SANFL will continue today with an outcome expected.