Local cricket association clubs set to decide rival’s future in AGM vote

A local cricket club is facing expulsion with rivals set to vote on its association membership over an ongoing court case.

Victorian Turf Cricket Association rivals will decide Haig Fawkner’s future next week.

A vote is expected to be held at the association’s annual general meeting on July 26 to potentially expel the club over its ongoing court battle with the VTCA.

Haig Fawkner has been accused of bringing the competition into disrepute as it challenges sanctions stemming from ball tampering bans last season.

The court case centres not on the suspensions handed out to players but on processes followed by the association.

A threshold of just 50 per cent is needed to kick Haig Fawkner out.

Haig Fawkner won the 2021-22 VTCA Senior Division premiership. Picture: Andy Brownbill

VTCA president Zoran Havranek said rival clubs were behind the vote being called.

“Clubs have expressed concern about them being in the VTCA given how they’ve conducted themselves,” he said.

“We’ve had numerous clubs who have expressed their disgust in them and want to have a vote to decide whether they should partake in the association.

“They do feel some of the arguments in the (court) case are not in line with cricket and the club’s want to put that to a vote.

“We don’t expect clubs to sue the VTCA, it’s the clubs’ money not my money, it’s money that we would put back into the association.

“It’s a lot of money that could have been used beneficially towards our VTCA junior academy that we’ve had to shelve as a result.”

A decision to expel it would put Haig Fawkner’s future in serious doubt.

While its Third and Fourth XIs play in the synthetic North Metro Cricket Association, there is no other turf cricket competition in the area to support its First and Second XIs.

Haig Fawkner has been a member of the VTCA since 2011-12 when the Moreland Moonee Valley association collapsed.

It won its maiden premiership in 2014-15 with the Division 2 title and claimed the Division 1 flag in 2018-19.

Haig won the VTCA Senior Division premiership in 2021-22 and finished on top of the ladder last season before being upset by Deer Park in the semi-final.

The semi-final was postponed a week due to the court case, with suspended players allowed to play.

The case has been ongoing since with neither side able to agree to a settlement.

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Havranek said a meeting would be held on Tuesday night to see if an agreement could finally be reached.

“We’re in a process in trying to find a settlement (to finalise the case) but the AGM is when we’ve called for this motion so we’ll determine what happens there,” he said.

If Haig Fawkner is removed it would be the second club to depart, while another two have merged.

Williamstown Colts has departed and West Coburg and St Andrews Pascoe Vale have joined forces, leaving 10 teams in each division.