AFL hits Geelong with fine after audit findings

The AFL has fined the Geelong Football Club $77,500 following an extensive audit that cleared the club of salary cap breaches but found several administrative reporting failures involving third-party arrangements.

The Extended Audit, covering the period from 2019 to 2024, was initiated after potential compliance issues were identified during a 2024 general audit. It focused on whether Geelong had complied with AFL Rules relating to the Total Player Payment (TPP) Limit and the Football Department Expenditure (Soft Cap) Limit.

Conducted with support from EY Australia, the audit reviewed extensive documentation and included interviews with club staff, associates and external parties. It was overseen by the AFL’s General Counsel, General Manager of Clubs and Scheduling, and the Head of Salary Cap and Soft Cap Compliance.

The AFL confirmed that Geelong had not breached the TPP Limit or player movement rules in any season assessed. However, investigators found a series of non-disclosures and late disclosures relating to arrangements with club associates and third parties that were required to be reported to the league.

In the AFLW program, the non-disclosures were deemed administrative errors and did not amount to material breaches of the TPP or player movement rules.

As a result, the AFL imposed a $77,500 fine on Geelong, with $40,000 suspended for two years on the condition that no further disclosure breaches occur and that the club complies with a set of Additional Compliance Requirements.

Those requirements include:
• Implementing enhanced internal governance protocols between club employees and third parties.
• Maintaining active registers of all arrangements with club associates and third parties, to be available for AFL inspection at any time.
• Applying expanded AFL assurance procedures to all player contracts and re-contracts.
• Introducing expanded disclosure and confirmation obligations for all club associates.

The measures will be monitored by the AFL over the next two years.

Geelong Cats CEO Steve Hocking said the club fully accepted the findings and had cooperated openly throughout the process.

“The Club and its personnel have fully cooperated throughout the audit process and worked closely with the AFL and EY to transparently provide access, documentation and information as required,” Mr Hocking said.

“We acknowledge the outcome of the audit has confirmed the Club has not breached AFL TPP limits nor the AFL player movement rules.

“We also acknowledge the audit identified a number of non-disclosure items over the six-year period. We accept the AFL’s sanctions for these errors and will strengthen our education and governance processes moving forward.”

The AFL acknowledged Geelong’s cooperation and confirmed it would introduce broader education and compliance improvements across all clubs, using lessons learned from the review. These will include enhanced training for both AFL and AFLW programs around salary cap rules, third-party arrangements and reporting obligations.