The Wangaratta Magpies Football Club has been stripped of its 2022 premiership flag following salary cap breaches.
The SS&A Ovens and Murray Football Netball League (OMFNL) held a Special Board Meeting on Monday night after recent sanctions were handed down to the Wangaratta Football Netball Club in relation to salary cap breaches.
"The 2022 OMFNL Senior football premiership awarded to the Wangaratta FNC cannot be recognised due to the AFL Victoria APP Rule breach," the Board confirmed in a statement on Tuesday afternoon.
"As such, there will be no OMFNL senior football premier declared for the 2022 season."
The OMFNL chairman David Sinclair said it was important to maintain integrity in the game.
"Whilst aware of the emotion surrounding last night's decision; particularly to the players, volunteers and supporters of the Wangaratta FNC, the League remains committed to the Allowable Player Payment Rules and absolute integrity around this," he said in a statement.
"Where a breach is proven, innocent mistake or otherwise, the League simply cannot award a Premiership where sanctions are handed out that bring into focus the integrity of the competition."
A further blow to the club
The Wangaratta Football and Netball Club had previously claimed their $28,000 breach of the league's $125,000 salary cap was unintentional.
The club earlier this month was fined $28,000 for the breach, which was self-reported, and hit with a range of sanctions after it failed to lodge player declarations or non-declared player statements correctly and exceeded the salary cap.
The sanctions included being ineligible to receive premiership match points in the first two games, and having total team points reduced by four for the entire 2023 season.
The sanctions were handed down by the AFL North East Border Disciplinary Committee.
The Wangaratta Magpies did not make an appeal when the initial fine and sanctions were announced.
The Wangaratta Magpies have declined to comment.
