AFL great Mick McGuane has been caught up in a salary cap breach that led to his local club, Keilor, being stripped of its 2023 Essendon District Football League [EDFL] premiership.
The league found Keilor guilty of exceeding the salary cap by $45,100 in 2023 and by $605 in 2022.
As a result, the club was penalised with a $50,000 fine, with $20,000 suspended, and a 15 per cent reduction in player payments over the next three seasons.
Keilor, a powerhouse in the EDFL, has won multiple premierships under McGuane’s leadership.
However, on Tuesday night, the club was officially stripped of its 2023 flag after an AFL Victoria hearing.
Despite the ruling, Keilor remains determined to move forward, with players and officials vowing to use the setback as motivation for future success.
AFL great Mick McGuane has become unwittingly involved in a salary cap scandal in the Essendon District Football League [EDFL]
McGuane has coached the Keilor Football Club to five premierships in his time as coach
EDFL Chair Ian Price stated that maintaining the integrity of the competition was paramount.
‘We remain committed to upholding the rules and regulations of our league, and our expectation of clubs to adhere to those rules and regulations,’ Price said.
He acknowledged Keilor’s full cooperation during the investigation and confirmed that the breaches were not dishonest or intentional.
Keilor President Shaun Morris emphasised the club’s transparency throughout the process.
‘The Keilor Football Club wishes to categorically state that no past or present players have had any involvement at all in this integrity review,’ he said.
McGuane, a former Collingwood premiership player and two-time Copeland Trophy winner, has coached Keilor to five premierships.
However, there is no suggestion that he was aware of the salary cap violations.
‘He is an incredible leader, the best coach this competition has ever seen and possibly will ever see,’ Morris said.
McGuane was a skilled midfielder who played 152 games for Collingwood in the AFL from 1987 to 1996
‘He has never had any role in administration or in decisions around player contracts or salary cap management since its inception in 2017.’
McGuane expressed his disappointment over the decision in an interview with News Corp.
‘Everyone involved in the football club is absolutely devastated about the sanctions imposed. I will leave it to others to decide if it is fair or unfair,’ he said.
‘We must look back on what has happened, learn from it, and don’t repeat it. The past won’t define us; the future will.’
The controversy also sparked rumours that former West Coast Eagles player Damien Cavka was responsible for reporting the breach.
Cavka, who played for Keilor in 2023 but had a messy departure after signing with Hillside for 2024, denied any involvement.
‘The recent rumours linking me to salary cap accusations against my junior club, Keilor, are completely false and an absolute disgrace,’ Cavka said.
He described the allegations as offensive and called for an end to the speculation.
McGuane, pictured with his son Tom, said the players were determined to move on from the decision
Keilor’s leadership, including Morris, McGuane, and captain Kane Barbuto, spoke out against misinformation circulating on social media.
They stressed that false claims had severely impacted the mental health of volunteers and staff at the club.
McGuane criticised those spreading baseless allegations.
‘Some of the baseless claims from people, who use their media platforms to make their point about what’s happened and what should happen, is very concerning,’ he said.
He also defended Cavka, revealing that he had personally reached out to check on his wellbeing after the false rumours surfaced.
Despite the controversy, Keilor’s players remain determined to move forward.
‘We are not going anywhere. This will add more fuel to what we will be doing this year. We are moving forward,’ Barbuto said.
McGuane echoed this sentiment, emphasising the team’s resilience. ‘We’ve won three of the last four [grand finals]. I can guarantee you that this group won’t get comfortable.’
