Ovens and Murray: Wangaratta can appeal against losing 2022 premiership
Wangaratta has a chance to reclaim the 2022 premiership stripped from it by the Ovens and Murray league. Read the next steps here.
Wangaratta has been given the chance to plead its case for the return of the 2022 Ovens and Murray league premiership it lost for busting the salary cap.
More than a month after the bombshell call by the league to strip the club of the flag, AFL Victoria has confirmed that the Magpies will be given the chance to appeal the decision.
Wangaratta must prove to a three-member appeal committee that the O and M’s ruling was too harsh or an error of law made.
The committee is expected to deliver its verdict before the end of the month.
Those penalties included a $28,000 fine – the amount Wangaratta was found to be over the cap – not being able to earn premiership points from its first two matches, and its player points tally for the 2023 season being reduced from 40 to 36.
Wangaratta opted against appealing the penalties handed down by the disciplinary committee.
The O and M board subsequently decided the salary cap breach broke its own by-laws and took the premiership from Wangaratta.
The league has already provided details to AFL Victoria of the process it followed in deciding to strip Wangaratta of the premiership.
The appeal will take the form of written submissions from the two parties only.
The relevant AFL regional manager normally sits on the appeal committee.
But in this instance the AFL Northeast Border manager Zac Hedin will be excused because he is a former Wangaratta player.
Wangaratta unsuccessfully appealed to AFL Victoria last year against an O and M by-law preventing Bradley Melville playing in the finals.
Wangaratta president Ellyn O’Brien said the club welcomed the chance to appeal.
Balranald’s ‘massive fish’ halts exodus
Balranald is pulling out all stops to remain one of the top teams in the Central Murray league. See the big name recruited by the small club.
Decker chases Melbourne to Warrnambool history
Tim Decker claimed the Melbourne to Warrnambool in 2007 as a rider but this weekend will chase victory in a different role. Here’s how he could create a slice of history with rising stars to lead the way.