Weekly Times | THE South East Football League board has penalised the Cranbourne and Narre Warren football clubs following a melee at a match last month.
The clubs have been asked to pay a bond, and would lose that bond, premiership points or be disqualified from finals should the board deem further infractions occur before December 2017.
An investigation was launched into the Round 11 incident at the end of the match between Narre Warren and Cranbourne.
At tribunal hearings last week six people from across both clubs were fined for their involvement in the incident after charges of unbecoming conduct were laid following the investigation.
Narre Warren coach Chris Toner received the heftiest fine of $2000, while Cranbourne president Shane Baker was also fined $500 for his involvement.
The league’s board met with the clubs on Wednesday, and in a statement released yesterday board chairman Kahl Heinze said the board did not have the power to impose further sanctions on the players and officials after the cases had been dealt with by the tribunal and no appeals lodged.
But the board did decide both clubs “engaged in conduct prejudicial to the interests of the league”.
The clubs have been ordered to pay a $3000 bond, due before the finals, which would be returned if there was no further transgression prior to December 2017.
Also if the board decides that any of the clubs’ teams have acted in a way that is “prejudicial to the interests of the league”, the teams face the loss of four premiership points, or disqualification if the infraction occurs during finals.
League operations manager Liz Triffitt said the latter penalty fell under the same time frame as the bond would be held, and it would be up to the board to decide what behaviour would constitute an breach.
She said the penalties would act as a “deterrent”.
Heinze said the board shared concerns with the clubs about the investigation and tribunal processes, which it would raise with AFL South East.
In particular Heinze said the board believed the process had “gone on too long”.
“As with many unique occurrences during this our first season — we are discovering gaps and loopholes in the systems and procedures within which we are obliged to conduct ourselves and as such we and our member clubs are learning all the time,” he said.
“Each and every club, including Narre Warren and Cranbourne, have agreed that the behaviour exhibited by those clubs during their round 11 clash was and is entirely unacceptable and won’t be tolerated in the SEFNL.”
Baker could not be contacted and Narre Warren president Tim Allan declined to comment.
