Sports Reports: Jervois Bluds accept SANFL penalties for salary cap breach

Plus competitors braved the weather in the Great Southern Open Prize Meeting, held at the Murray Bridge Rifle Club on the weekend.

Michael X. Savvas, Contributed

Apr 11, 2023 — 2 min read

This post includes contributions from the SANFL and Daniel Irvine.

Jervois’ A-grade players compete in the 2022 grand final. Photo: Peri Strathearn.

Jervois Bluds accept SANFL penalties

Jervois Football Club has accepted SANFL-imposed fines and points penalties for breaches of player payment regulations in 2022.

The SANFL announced on Tuesday that the Jervois Bluds Football Club had accepted fines totalling $26,500, along with player points penalties over the next two seasons.

Jervois will be stripped of four premiership points in 2023 and four points in 2024, and will also be limited to four points under the approved player points transfer system for 2024 and 2025.

Earlier this month, the SANFL’s integrity department conducted an extensive investigation into whether the club had breached salary cap regulations.

The investigation led to charges being laid in relation to travel payments, including flights, resulting in breaches of the match payment limit and a failure to declare full payment details.

On their Facebook page, the club stated that “the breach relates specifically to a misunderstanding over travel costs for interstate-based players and not a blatant and deliberate breach of the salary cap”.

SANFL head of country football Shawn Ford said that although there was no excuse for any player or official to breach salary cap regulations, Jervois had been co-operative throughout the investigation.

“The club’s co-operation, including that of the officials and players who were the subject of the various salary cap breaches, have been taken into consideration with the imposed sanctions … (and) no charges were brought against the individual offending players and officials,” he said.

Grade winners (L-R) William Stubbings, Tim Benger, Jasamine Irvine, Bill Naismith, Tim Manning, Darryl Pink and Bryan Galpin. Photo: Daniel Irvine.

Mount Barker and Murray Bridge Rifle Club members did more than shoot the breeze

Twenty-nine competitors took a chance on the weather this weekend to compete in the Number 2 District Rifle Association’s Great Southern Open Prize Meeting, hosted by the Murray Bridge Rifle Club at their Deed Range in Monarto.

Once the morning showers cleared, shooting was able to continue uninterrupted on an overcast and cool day, which allowed for clear sighting for most throughout the day.

Competitors needed all the assistance they could get though as a strong southerly blew across the range from right to left over the course of the whole day, dropping off or picking up strength with little warning.