Heights happy to take fall
DESPITE feeling it was treated as “collateral damage”, Manifold Heights believes the Geelong Cricket Association handled the Bell Park salary cap scandal well.
The Sharks had been slated for relegation to GCA3 based on the club championship system before they were called back to GCA2 when the Dragons were found to have paid more players than permitted under association rules.
That decision was then reversed last week when the GCA decided that Bell Park could stay in GCA2 after all.
Manifold Heights put its case to the GCA to be relegated and eventually was pushed back down to the bottom division.
“We were put there to start with and it all went pearshaped and changed for us, we were sort of a third party,” Sharks president Damian Stephens said.
“We just sat back and waited for the GCA to go through their process and we put our case forward for our club and ended up back where we started.
“We were restructuring and rebuilding and then the Bell Park thing happened and we found ourselves in Division 2, which threw our plans out of whack a bit, so we just made the best of it. Then it all changed again.”
The move to reinstate Bell Park was made with the integrity of both divisions in mind, according to GCA president Rob Vines.
Stephens said he was pleased with the association’s communication.
“We were collateral damage, really,” he said.
“The GCA got in contact with us and they let us know as much as they could of the process and we just had to sit back and wait for them to go through everything.”
Manifold Heights had all but agreed to terms with returning juniors Luke Turner, Daniel and Jack Maclean to cross over to the club from Bell Park before the penalties came to light.
All three reneged on their moves to the Sharks to help the Dragons rebuild.
“It was their choice (to go back), obviously we are disappointed they wanted to come across and then changed their minds,” Stephens said.
“They need to go back and do what they need to do, and hopefully down the track they may come back to us.”