Ovens and Murray: Wangaratta salary cap appeal fate pushed back a week

Wangaratta is up to second place on the ladder despite being unable to earn points from its first two games.

Wangaratta has climbed to a season-high second spot on the Ovens and Murray league ladder as it awaits the outcome of its appeal to being stripped of last year’s premiership.

The Magpies were forced on Friday to wait at least another week to find out whether the club will reclaim the 2022 flag, with the three-person committee deliberating on the appeal requesting more time.

Wangaratta was stripped of the 2022 premiership for being $28,000 over the salary cap.

On Saturday, Wangaratta thrashed Myrtleford by 112 points to move into second spot behind Albury with Yarrawonga dropping to third after a 32-point loss to Wangaratta Rovers.

As part of the initial salary cap breach sanctions, the Magpies couldn’t earn points from the two first matches of the season and then lost to Yarrawonga to be 0-3 before winning its next five games.

Last season, Dimboola started “minus” 12 premiership points for a salary cap breach the previous year, but recovered to qualify for finals.

Wangaratta’s Callum Moore leaps over Yarrawonga’s Lachlan Howe in last year’s Ovens and Murray grand final. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

Callum Moore kicked 10 goals for Wangaratta against Myrtleford.

Wangaratta coach Ben Reid has served a three-match suspension from an incident in round 1 and can play in its next game.

Wangaratta has a bye this week and plays arch rival Wangaratta Rovers the following round.

The Magpies are appealing the O&M league’s decision to strip them of the 2022 premiership they won last year.

A revised deadline of Friday has been set for a decision from the regional appeal committee.

The club didn’t appeal the original penalties handed down for the salary cap bust including the inability to earn premiership points.

O&M clubs operate with a $125,000 salary cap.

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Wangaratta will know before its next match whether it has been successful with an appeal against the Ovens and Murray league’s landmark call to strip the club of last year’s premiership because of a salary cap bust.

The Magpies were blindsided by the decision not to recognise their grand final win after earlier accepting penalties handed out by a disciplinary committee appointed by the AFL Northeast Commission to investigate the $28,000 cap breach.

The three-person board will sit in judgment on final submissions from Wangaratta and the O&M that were lodged late last week.

Wangaratta defeated Yarrawonga in last year’s Ovens and Murray grand final. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

The appeal board is “not obliged to give reasons for any decision it makes” under the AFL’s rules for community football.

But given every club in the state operates under a salary cap, total transparency is needed, according to a former club president of a rival O&M team.

“It can’t be just swept under the carpet,” Myrtleford’s Ian Wales said.

“For the betterment of footy all over Victoria, clubs and administrators deserve to know the full picture of why the decision they made has come to pass.

“Regardless of the appeal being upheld or overturned, the last thing we need is everyone being left to guess what happened.”

Wangaratta coach Ben Reid and captain Michael Newton with the 2022 premiership cup. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

Wangaratta was initially able to keep its 2022 premiership despite busting the $125,000 salary cap.

AFL Victoria has previously confirmed to The Weekly Times that a Magpies player received extra payments and the anomaly wasn’t picked up until the end of the season.

The club was fined $28,000, had its player points total reduced from 40 to 36 this season and couldn’t earn premiership points from the first two matches.

Wangaratta also failed to name all players who received payment for playing last year.

Wangaratta Magpies coach Ben Reid returns this week after serving a three-match suspension. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

The O&M board subsequently decided the salary cap bust broke its own by-laws and took the premiership from Wangaratta.

The Magpies will need to prove to the appeal board that the decision to take the premiership was too harsh, an error of law made in the league’s decision-making process or natural justice denied.

Wangaratta has recovered from a 0-3 start to the season to be on track to play finals again.

In a further boost, the Magpies will regain coach Ben Reid this round after serving a three-match suspension.