GSFL 2024: Albany star forward Brett Peake has player points value reduced after successful challenge

Former Fremantle and St Kilda player and Sean Plaisted trophy leader Brett Peake has had his player points value decreased following a successful challenge submitted to the Great Southern Football League by Albany. Peake was previously listed as a three-point player, however the Sharks submitted a “five-year look back” challenge to the GSFL on June 9 under the adopted Country Football WA’s player points value model and he was reduced to one. Country Football WA stipulates a player will be graded at the highest points value that they have achieved in the previous five years where they have played five or more games at that level in a season. However bylaw 1.3 states “a five-year look back is rolling and should be reviewed before the commencement of each season upon the league receiving a request from the player’s club to do so”. Although the challenge was submitted after the season began, law 1.5 reads player point allocations were finalised on July 1. Peake entered the GSFL in 2021 as a five-point player given his highest points value within the last five years of his arrival was five points. But under the “look back” law, Peake is listed as a three-point player in his first season with the Sharks in 2021 rather than the five he was originally awarded. GSFL registrar Paul Higginson said any club was able to submit a challenge to the league if they felt a player’s points value was unjust. “Nothing untoward has gone on . . . and according to rule 1.3 a club is entitled to challenge and can do this at any time,” he said. “Because Peake was valued at three points in 2019 which is five years ago from the challenge, he is (retrospectively) valued at three points in his initial 2021 season with the Sharks.” Sharks president Tracy Blaskow said the club contacted Country Football WA to see if they were eligible to challenge Peake’s player points value before forwarding their request to the GSFL. Peake has played an integral part in the Sharks’ title defence this season, booting a competition-high 44 goals including a bag of eight and three six-goal hauls. The dual Sean Plaisted trophy winner played for Bunbury in the South West Football League before arriving at the Sharks and last played WAFL for East Fremantle in 2017. Peake is best known for his AFL career in which he played 75 games for Fremantle between 2005 and 2009 before moving to St Kilda in 2010 where he played 43 games over three seasons.