Tigers will not challenge salary cap sanctions

THE Torquay Tigers will not challenge penalties imposed on the club for breaching the salary cap last year.

Last week, AFL Barwon announced an audit of the BFL football club found the Tigers had exceeded the Allowable Player Payment (APP) rule by $3,040 in the 2017 season.

The club itself was found guilty of four charges and a player was found guilty of one charge.

As a result, Torquay will have to pay a $20,000 fine (with another $30,000 suspended), have their APP for the 2018 season reduced by $10,000 (to $100,000) and have their team player points reduced by three (to 37 points) for the 2018 season.

The player, who was found guilty of “not providing the requested information to the Integrity Officer within the prescribed time frames” received a two-match suspension, fully suspended until the end of this year.

Torquay will not have to relinquish their 2017 premiership.

The Tigers committee resolved not to appeal the penalties at 6.30pm on Monday, and gave an explanation of events to club players, members and sponsors in a meeting held on the same night.

In a statement issued after the 90-minute meeting, Tigers president Jenny Wood said the decision not to challenge was simple: “this process has had an enormous toll on our club”.

“It is not just the direct impact on those involved; it is the indirect impact on the club, the families, the game and the community. It is not fair on anyone associated with our club.

“While we accept the penalty, we stand by our certainty that we did not intend to breach the player payment rules. We made a collective decision as a committee to use vouchers as an incentive for players who had taken a reduced salary.

“We genuinely believed we were within the guidelines of the Player Payment Rules. The governance of the player payments should provide clubs with guidance, clarity and support to be successful.

“As a club, we are continually grappling with the complexity and volume of information we need to be across and the work we need to do in a volunteer capacity. It is pushing good people away from our club for fear of not getting it right.

“We would like to thank those that came to the meeting tonight and for showing the amazing spirit and support that we have come to know at the Torquay Football Club. We are focused, united and humble as we look to take on Round 1 this Friday.”