Player ban over salary inquiry
Former Tasmanian State League player Chris Nield has been suspended from local footy in Victoria after failing to co-operate with salary cap investigators.
The former Clarence and Kingborough player was banned for four matches from playing in any AFL-affiliated competition nationally.
He has played for Mooroopna in the Goulburn Valley League, in the state’s north, for the past three seasons and topped the competition goalkicking with 82 goals in 2022 and represented the league in a representative game for the past two seasons.
Under the landmark suspension handed down by AFL Goulburn-Murray’s player payments disciplinary committee last week, Nield cannot play for his new club, Airport West, in the Essendon District league.
But he has played two matches for Berrigan this season in the Picola District league – a competition not affiliated with the AFL.
League operations manager Shane Railton said Nield wouldn’t be able to play again while he was suspended.
“We’re trying to run a competition that is seen to have a lot of integrity so we can’t be seen to be allowing a player under suspension to play for one of our teams,” he said.
Nield played his two matches for Berrigan before last week’s suspension was handed down.
AFL Victoria rules state: “Upon a request by the integrity officer and within seven days of that request, a player shall provide to the integrity officer such information or details concerning or relating to any payments promised, given or provided to, or applied for the benefit of the player or any associate of the player, by the club or any associate of the club.”
AFL Victoria chief executive Greg Madigan said the suspension highlighted the salary cap was working in country football.
“The process and outcome on this occasion is one example of the system working to assist clubs in being sustainable by addressing the issue of player payment demands whilst seeking to achieve evenly matched competitions with financially viable and sustainable clubs,” he said.
“Football bodies are serious about addressing the burden of player payments and ensuring compliance.”
The integrity of competitions was of paramount importance at all levels, he said.
Every birdie Zahara Lemon makes at the Tasmanian Open this weekend will be dedicated to her nan.
In fact, how she plays pales in significance behind honouring the woman who introduced her to the game she loved after her nan recently lost her battle with cancer.
While she won’t be in the galleries watching, she’ll be on Lemon’s mind as she pays tribute to the lady who introduced her to the sport she loves.
The funeral was on Monday and Lemon, 24, will wear golf clothes her nan wore for all three rounds of the tournament at Launceston Golf Club, where she is a member.
“When she was passing away she said ‘make sure those birdies go in’, so every birdie is hers,” Lemon said.
“If I win it’s a bonus, but I’m just doing this one for her.
“She wanted me to play the Tas Open, and she was going to be here to see me play.
“Unfortunately that’s not the case, but I’ve got little bits of her gear with me for good luck.”
Lemon, who won the Tasmanian Women’s Amateur Championship aged just 15, has recently returned from a sabbatical from golf after it “burned her out” as a teenager.
Her love for the sport grew after watching her nan play at North-West Bay Golf Club, before Lemon moved to Launceston for study in 2018.
“Nan loved it. She was playing with one of her friends and I wanted to have a whack, but she said ‘not a chance because I don’t want you getting bad habits’,” Lemon said.
“I got 10 lessons for my tenth birthday, and the rest is history. I loved it after that and it went on to define most of my teenagehood.” Lemon said her passion for the game was far stronger after taking time out to focus on work.
“You have a renewed outlook on it. I was 15 I think when I won the Tas Am and that was the most stressful thing I’ve been through. “As you grow up you go through more life events and you realise the game is just between you, the ball and a hole. It’s not the end of the world if you don’t play well. “Being a teenage competitor it does take it out of you, and practising every day burned me out. Now I love the game it’s a lot easier to get out on the course.
“Nan always wanted me to go professional but I’m just playing for fun and playing for her.”
Although she can’t share in it as an amateur, $35,000 in prizemoney is up for grabs in the three-round Tasmanian Open starting on Friday.
The field includes plenty of mainland golfers as well as Tasmanian hopeful Simon Hawkes, who won the WA Open in October.
Prospect Vale Golf Club member Ronan Filgate, 22, is a member of Tasmania’s representative men’s team.
“Only the pros can win the money but I still look forward to playing the best I can and hopefully I can be a pro in the future,” he said. “It’s daunting (playing alongside the pros) but hopefully we can showcase as young amateurs how good we can be.”
Men and women both play the Tasmanian Open, with both events Golf Australia Order of Merit events.