THE Mordialloc Redbacks Junior Football Club’s under-13 side has been booted from the 2019 finals after an AFL South East investigation found them guilty of playing an overage player.
An AFL South East statement read that the team “knowingly” played an overage player using false names for four games during the season.
The club, which plays in the Frankston and District Junior Football League, was found guilty of bringing the game into disrepute. In addition to having match points stripped, the team’s manager has been suspended from holding any official role at the club for two years and the coach has been suspended from the club for one year. The club was fined $1000 for bringing the game into disrepute and $400 for playing an ineligible player.
AFL South East general manager John Anderson said “this is a rare occurrence where a club has played outside the rules of the competition and has paid the penalty.”
“This is a reminder to all clubs participating in community football that the integrity of the game is paramount and actions like this will not be tolerated,” he said.
“We feel for the innocent parties involved, such as players, parents and volunteers, who have been denied the chance of playing in this year’s finals series.”
The sanctions were handed down after the club faced a disciplinary committee on 20 August.
Mordialloc Redbacks JFC President Brendan Swifte declined to comment.
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 4 September 2019
