Sunraysia: Points reassessed for two Robinvale-Euston recruits

Rival clubs are chasing answers for a reduction of the player points on a star recruit in the Sunraysia league. See the reaction.

Sunraysia league reigning premiers Imperials are leading the charge for an urgent explanation on events that led to a rival club having player points changed for two star recruits a month into the season.

Imperials president Dale Stafford, who led an unsuccessful bid to be granted some additional points this season after his club went from wooden-spooners to premiers in the space of 12 months, said there was growing anger among clubs about the one-point reduction granted to Robinvale-Euston recruit Baxter Mensch.

Robinvale-Euston is playing on only 31 points this season due to a salary cap bust in 2023.

Mensch and two other recruits, Jayden Magro and Marcus Wattie, were playing on four points until last round when Magro’s points had been wrongly assessed and he went from four to five.

But the downgrading of Mensch’s points from four to three has totally blindsided rival clubs.

The Weekly Times unsuccessfully sought an explanation on the changes from AFL Sunraysia on Monday.

Baxter Mensch played in Torquay’s premiership team last year. Picture: Mark Wilson

AFL Victoria confirmed that Robinvale-Euston was successful with a reassessment of Mensch’s points based on “compassionate grounds”, with the deduction unanimously accepted by the region’s player points panel.

“We’re all in the dark,” Stafford said.

“There was no communication or explanation to clubs on the reasoning why there was a point deduction.

“Clubs have to be transparent with the SFNL and AFL Vic on all levels.

“But we’re not being shown the same respect.

“It flies in the face of our club requesting additional points at the start of the season based on the fact we don’t have the junior players at the moment to come into the team and be one-point players.”

Reasons why a player’s points can be reassessed include: the age of a player, especially if the player is looking to play at a higher level; injury history; recent playing history of the player; the living, schooling and work arrangements of the player; or any other relevant consideration.

Under SFNL bylaws, a request for a player’s points to be reassessed must be made within seven days of them being “confirmed and locked” by the league.

Imperials points dropped from 45 to 36 points under a sliding scale system introduced in the Sunraysia league this season.

POINTS CHANGED ON “COMPASSIONATE GROUNDS”

Robinvale-Euston has had player points allocations for two recruits adjusted a month into the Sunraysia league season.

The club’s cap of 31 points is the lowest of any team in the state following a salary cap breach from the 2023 season.

To manage the loss of six player points, Robinvale-Euston strategically recruited three players initially assessed as four-point players: Jayden Magro, Baxter Mensch, and Marcus Wattie.

But Magro’s points were increased to five after it was confirmed he had played at state league level in Tasmania in 2022 (earning four points) and that Robinvale-Euston was his third club in three years — triggering an additional point under the rules.

His reclassification was made last round.

At the same time, Mensch’s points were revised down from four to three, allowing the club to remain within the 31-point limit.

AFL Victoria confirmed that Robinvale-Euston applied for Mensch’s reassessment on “compassionate grounds” and “unanimously” accepted by the reassessment panel, resulting in the one-point deduction.

“They were legitimate grounds,” a spokesman said.

Robinvale-Euston lost its first match of the season last Saturday to Red Cliffs by five points.

Originally published as Sunraysia: Points reassessed for two Robinvale-Euston recruits