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West Coast Fever has admitted to offering players accommodation, travel, jobs and the use of cars as part of the salary cap rort that rocked the club last year.
Key points:
- Players were offered perks outside their agreed contracts
- West Coast Fever did not name those responsible, but said they are no longer associated with the club
- Coach Stacey Marinkovich urged fans to trust the club
The Fever were fined $300,000, with half suspended for three years, and stripped of 12 premiership points, after being found guilty of breaching the Super Netball salary cap in 2017 and 2018, to a total of more than $195,000.
In an open letter to supporters, the Fever said it had provided players with “confirmation letters” along with their playing contracts, which referred to “additional support the club was willing to offer during their contract”.
That included use of the clubs fleet cars, support securing employment within or externally to the club and help covering the cost of accommodation and travel.
It admits the offers were made to add value to the players contracts, and to circumvent the league’s salary cap, and that by intentionally failing to report the added value it had breached the cap.
West Coast Fever is yet to say who was responsible for the breaches, but insists they are not longer involved with the club, or Netball WA.
“In announcing these breaches, and accepting the penalties handed down, we chose not to point directly at those responsible and apportion individual blame,” the club said.
“These actions, and their outcomes, are unacceptable. Those responsible for the actions that led to the breaches are no longer associated with West Coast Fever or with Netball WA in any way.
“We will not name and shame those responsible. To do so would not serve the best interests of our Club, our members and fans or the sport, and we stand by this decision.”
Recently, Fever and Australia Diamonds coach Stacey Marinkovich said she had no knowledge of who had authorised the breaches.
“We’ve worked through it as a group — knowing doesn’t change the fact of the situation we’re in. I’ve got so much energy to give, and my energy has got to go on the future,” she said.
She urged fans to trust the club, and promised the breaches would happen again.
On Wednesday, the Fever appointed a new chair, Suzanne Ardagh, to its board to guide them out of the scandal.
The Club is also on the brink of appointing a new general manager.
