The North Sunshine Eagles will not appeal a Football Federation Victoria appeals board decision to strip it of points and hit it with a $7500 fine following an ugly post-match incident in June.
Club president Besnick Kutleshi said the entire appeals process had cost the club about $20,000 in legal representation to fight the FFV’s initial decision to expel it from the men’s state league north-west after the incident against Sporting Whittlesea on June 29.
The club had initially been hit with a $15,000 fine and all its premiership points removed.
“I’m quite happy [with the decision], I’m not surprised,” Mr Kutleshi said of the watered down penalties.
“It [the incident] was all blown out of proportion. I’m glad we were given a chance to show our side of the story and not just rely on witnesses from the other team.
“We couldn’t have survived if the original decision stayed. A lot of time, effort and money has gone into this appeal.”
He said he was glad the appeals board agreed that the FFV’s decision to expel it from the league was “diabolical”.
“The appeals board were dumbfounded why they wanted to do that. It was a diabolical decision.
“This fine will hurt us a bit, but we’ll have to run a few fund-raisers, our supporters have always been generous.”
While the Eagles will be stripped of nine premiership points, Mr Kutleshi said his senior team still had a mathematical chance of making the finals.
Sporting Whittlesea’s charges of engaging in a melee, failing to control club associates and bringing the game into disrepute were thrown out due to a lack of evidence.
Eagles officials will also have to undertake a Respect and Responsibility course.
