DRAGONS TO APPEAL SANCTIONS

DISGRACED Geelong Cricket Association club Bell Park has vowed to appeal penalties handed down for a “significant” breach of the salary cap.

Dumped to GCA3, fined $5000 and stripped of the twoday, one-day and T20 premierships it won last season for exceeding the professional player limit, the Dragons are in damage control after one of the biggest scandals in recent Geelong cricket history.

But Bell Park president Rodney Brown said his club would take the fight to the GCA, which dished out the penalties on Monday after a four-week investigation.

The probe came after the Dragons submitted a financial statement, which detailed to the GCA the club had paid more than three players in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons and had exceeded the $10,000 annual cap.

“Our club acknowledges the findings of the GCA investigation,” Brown said.

“Although shocked by the decision, the entire playing group has pledged to stick together, which is a great outcome for the club.

“Our club has decided that we will be appealing various aspects of the GCA penalty.”

Bell Park has been found guilty of breaching the GCA’s professional player regulations for the past two seasons.

GCA president Rob Vines would not be drawn on the amount spent, nor the number of players who were paid, but declared the monetary figure was “significant”.

“There are things that will always remain between the board and Bell Park, and remain confidential,” Vines said.

“The determination by the investigations committee has full details, but that investigation doesn’t go public, and it shouldn’t. It remains private and confidential.”

Clubs can spend a maximum of $10,000 a season and remunerate three “professional players”, such as the Dragons’ English import David Toft.

But the report to the GCA showed the club paid more than three players, and spent more than $10,000.

“It came about as a consequences of our review into the financial statements provided by the club,” Vines said.

“These financial statements had been submitted as part of the annual process in applying for affiliation for next season.

“We were doing a broad review of financial statements from all clubs, and by looking at the Bell Park statement we noticed some issues, and began a process.”

Brown said he felt “sick to the stomach” after his club was stripped of the three premierships as well as being whacked with a hefty fine and dumped a division.

“It has all come as a bit of a shock to all of us, and we’re feeling accordingly,” he said.

“When you get the final findings and see you what the GCA has imposed on us, you do feel a bit shocked.”

Brown refused to elaborate on the grounds for appeal, but confirmed the club would submit a paper to the GCA before today’s 11am deadline.

He was also not prepared to point fingers or reveal who was responsible for the breach.

“There’s no blame or anything like that,” Brown said.

“It’s more about looking at the findings of the GCA ruling and working our way through that.”

The punishment is a blow for the club after publicly revealing its desire to win promotion to GCA1.

“We were starting to have some discussions about putting things in place to make ourselves Division 1-ready for the future, but this has knocked us back a couple of cogs,” Brown said.

“The key thing in the message from last night is the players are staying, regardless of what division we are playing in, and that came through unanimously.”