Notice of complaint Att: Gino Capogreco, Grant Goodall and SAAFL board members. To whom it may concern, I am writing to you on behalf of the Smithfield Football Club in relation to the recent events that have occurred involving our club being suspended for the remainder of the 2013 season and possible non admittance in the 2014 season. We as a club wish to express our serious concerns over our treatment and the processes followed by SAAFL in handling this particular case which stemmed from alleged incidents during our game against Flinders Park, and the tribunal hearing that followed. It is our belief that SAAFL have not followed their own due process in firstly laying charges against our players without any report made by an umpire or SAAFL official, without any video evidence being presented, without any witnesses other than the opposition players, without our witness statements being admitted in the hearing, without any injuries being reported by any opposition players and the only evidence given prior to the hearing was a letter of complaint and allegations sent in by the opposition club. In correspondence received from SAAFL prior to the tribunal hearing states failure to attend the hearing by our players and coach will “affect the sanctions being imposed on your club”. To us this indicates the decision of guilt had already been decided before the tribunal hearing had been held. There was also only notice given of possible charges being laid against individual players and the coach, no indication was given that charges were possibly going to be imposed on the Smithfield Football Club. We have serious concerns over the tribunal process and believe this alone should have been sufficient reason for an appeal through the SAAFL to be granted. This did not happen and our attempts to have an appeal through the SACFL have after nearly five weeks of waiting, have still not resulted in any confirmation of an appeal hearing being granted. In relation to the penalties imposed on our club, being suspended for the remainder of season 2013 (including finals which we had qualified to play) and deduction of two premiership points, we believe the tribunal have acted excessively without taking into consideration some important factors. Up until the game in question, no Smithfield player had been reported all season. Our club had only one player suspended in the previous three years, this is below the leagues average for the entire competition. To then go straight to a club suspension, especially with the circumstances surrounding the case outlined above, we feel is hugely excessive and unfair. We are also aware of some other clubs offences and the penalties they have received this season, none of these compare similarly to our penalty of the entire football club being removed from the competition. Our club would also point out the inaccurate comments made by the SAAFL CEO Grant Goodall in the media regarding our club’s record and overall behaviour this season. To quote Mr Goodall’s remarks in the Advertiser article being that “Smithfield players and supporters have been involved in a string of incidents this season.” I would like him to explain to us what he means by this statement as up until the game in question, none of our players had been reported this season at all. As for our supporters, we had the incident during the Ingle Farm night game involving a fight amongst the crowd. As we reported in the explanation the SAAFL requested from us, no Smithfield player, official or member was involved in this incident. The one person arrested by the police that night has no connection to this club. The public comment made by Mr Goodall is, in our opinion, not only inaccurate, but damaging to our club and we strongly believe a public apology and correction is in order. The SAAFL would more than likely know the situation this club was in three years ago in almost having to fold football altogether. But with the current committee we have not only been able to keep the club alive, but rejuvenate it and enable it to look forward to a brighter future. The SAAFL is now denying us this by not guaranteeing our acceptance into the league next year. We cannot advertise or attract coaches, players and support staff if we do not know if we will even be playing. We have met every request by the league so far in that we are prepared to work with the SAAFL to ensure we have the required policies and structures in place to be successful next year. We are not however prepared to accept the treatment we have received this year and this is why we continue to pursue an appeal and seek to have the SAAFL board review the processes and outcomes of the tribunal. Yours faithfully Simon Coulthard President Smithfield Sports & Social Club
Posted on: Thu, 12 Sep 2013 02:28:53 +0000
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