West Perth Salary Cap Breach FindingsThursday, May 9, 2013 - 12:47 AM

The West Australian Football Commission (WAFC) has found that the West Perth Football Club breached the WAFL salary cap during the 2012 season.

Following a comprehensive investigation into the issue, the WAFC has found that the breach was a result of a genuine administrative error in which the Club failed to take into account players’ salaries during one round of football in 2012. In reaching its finding the WAFC also noted that West Perth had self-reported the salary cap breach.

As a result, the WAFC has applied discretion when determining the penalty and for the 2014 and 2015 seasons West Perth will lose 10 points each year off its total player point allocation, reducing the total amount to 120 points.

Gary Walton, Chief Executive, WAFC said that monitoring and enforcement of the salary cap rules is absolutely essential to ensure the integrity of the WAFL competition.

"Penalties are appropriate for any breach that may have provided a competitive advantage, but we must also sensible and encourage any Club that has made a mistake to step forward and own up. I believe this decision achieves both goals."

West Perth President, Brett Raponi, said the Club accepted the decision and was pleased the WAFC had noted it was both a genuine mistake and that West Perth had been proactive in its approach to the issue.

While the WAFC has the ability to apply discretion to the application of the salary cap rules and penalties, it has also ruled that should any firm evidence subsequently be produced that the West Perth breach was not a genuine one, or that West Perth breach the salary cap again within the next 2 years, then the Club will receive the tougher penalty of a two year halt to all recruiting.