Brookton-Pingelly to miss entire 2023 season after members vote at general meeting

Brookton-Pingelly will not play in the Upper Great Southern Football League competition in 2023 after a special general meeting last Thursday to determine their immediate future. The decision comes after they were fined $20,000 following an investigation in October which found them guilty of breaching WA Country Football League paid player by-laws in five of the past six seasons. A lack of Brookton-Pingelly members attended the first special meeting called and a second meeting reconvened for last Thursday ultimately determined the decision of whether the Panthers would play in 2023. The members in attendance made the call to suspend all grades for 2023 with an aim to return to the UGSFL in 2024. The Panthers elected Adrian Fairhead as the president at the meeting, Bryan Hotham will take on the role as vice-president and Sally Haslam will fill the position of secretary. All positions were made vacant with the 2022 committee stepping down. The Panthers still have the position of treasurer vacant and said the aim was to return to play in 2024. “The meeting was well attended by members who have decided BPPFC will not play footy in 2023,” the Panthers said on Facebook. “However, the club and the committee will be active throughout the year with a range of social events and activities. “There was a positive feel amongst everyone in attendance that 2024 will see us back on the field with renewed enthusiasm.” WA Football Commission executive manager Tom Bottrell said the body would continue to provide support to the club regardless of their circumstances next year. “What was offered was the WAFC and the WACFL would volunteer a board member for 2023 to help them rebuild which we will do even in recess if they are keen to keep a board together,” Bottrell said. “Basically we’re offering a committee member as a volunteer while also reinvesting the fine to that particular club and region with some administration support. “What we heard from some of the board members at an earlier meeting was that a crisis meeting was coming regardless of the salary cap breach anyway. “Greg Baird is a WA Country Football League board member who has volunteered on behalf of the Country Football League to sit on their (Brookton-Pingelly) board for 2023. “The decision sort of allows them to rebuild, they were struggling to get a lot of interest to put a full board together but also to get players. “It can be dangerous going into recess because it can be really hard to make your way back, we would prefer that they played in 2023 but you have to have the players and board to be able to do that which they haven’t been able to get.” Before last week’s special general meeting the Panthers posted on social media with an offer of support from the WACFL. “The WACFL management and executive members have agreed in principle that the $20,000 salary cap breach fine will be invested and managed by WACFL to obtain a suitable club administrator/executive officer for the 2023 season,” they said. “WACFL will assist the club in providing a position description for the role and will contact other potential support agencies, such as the Shire of Brookton and Pingelly, to request that they also contribute to the role.” UGSFL president Kim Melvin said while the outcome was disappointing, it was the Panthers decision to make. “Realistically it was a Brookton-Pingelly decision, it was nothing really to do with the league or anything,” he said. “There were WACFL representatives there and I was there, we’ve all been to the last three of four meetings they’ve had. “We’ll go to a seven-team comp now, nothing has been discussed with fixtures yet. “There will be a meeting to discuss that which were in the process of getting together now.”