Ovens and Murray: Wangaratta found guilty of salary cap breach

Ovens and Murray premiers Wangaratta have been found guilty of breaching their salary cap last season. Here’s how it happened.

Ovens and Murray league club Wangaratta will retain its 2022 premiership despite busting the salary cap by $28,000 last year.

AFL Victoria has confirmed the chain of events that led to the breach being uncovered and penalties of a $28,000 fine, a cut in its player points total from 40 to 36 this year and not being able to earn premiership points from the first two matches of the season, handed out.

A player received extra payments, deemed by AFL Victoria to be an administrative error, and pushed the club over the $125,000 salary cap.

“The fine amount reflects how much the club exceeded total player payments cap by,” an AFL Victoria spokesman said.

“The club also failed to name all players who received remuneration for playing.”

The error wasn’t picked up until the end of the season when the club was reviewing its financials for the year.

It’s unbelievable they keep the flag. That is an absolute non-negotiable. If the equalisation policy is to have any integrity a premiership cannot remain with a club that exceeded the cap. AFL Victoria have set a very dangerous precedent.

— Michael Henderson (@mjhenderson84) March 17, 2023

Wangaratta was under investigation due to “inconsistencies identified in compliance auditing and through this process, picked up the errors and self-reported at that point”.

Asked whether the club was ever at risk of losing the premiership, the spokesman said: “The disciplinary committee considered the appropriate penalty and agreed on what the sanctions were”.

Wangaratta plays Wangaratta Rovers and Wodonga in the first two matches and meets its 2022 grand final opponent Yarrawonga in round three of a season cut to 16 home and away games due to Corowa-Rutherglen going into recess.

Collingwood draftee Joe Richards played in Wangaratta’s 2022 flag win. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

AFL Northeast Border confirmed the sanctions on Friday with the fine needing to be paid by September.

The club faced a disciplinary committee hearing the previous night.

Wangaratta Magpies president Ellyn O’Brien conceded the error should have been “picked up earlier”.

“The breach was rectified once identified and the club has fully co-operated with the integrity officer throughout the review,” she said.

“At the hearing, the independent tribunal acknowledged that this was not a deliberate breach and a non-intentional administration error however it should have been picked up earlier.

“The WFNC fully supports the allowable player payment cap and player points system.

“Although we are disappointed at the severity of the sanctions, we will move on with the 2023 season.”

Last year, Dimbooola was found guilty of breaching the salary cap from the 2021 Covid-shortened Wimmera league season.

It was fined $20,000 and started the season minus 12 premiership points for not adjusting player payments due to the number of games missed due to the pandemic.

Dimboola recovered to play finals.