The West Australian Football Commission (WAFC) has handed down a hefty sanction to WAFL team Perth Football Club over a salary cap breach.
The Demons have received a suspended eight Premiership Points penalty plus a $25k fine and a penalty of 15 player recruitment points, 10 of which are suspended.
It is understood that the breach was due to an administrative error, with club president Adrian Barich thanking the Commission for recognising it wasn't intentional.
Perth has committed to conducting monthly compliance check-ins with the governing body to ensure all processes and practices are improving to avoid a repeat of the saga.
"Our club prides itself on professional administration and robust governance, and we are disappointed to have made this mistake," Barich said.
"We have been working closely with the West Australian Football Commission and have introduced new policies and procedures since this error came to light to ensure an incident like this cannot occur in the future."
The Demons will welcome its work with the Commission whilst also embarking on a new strategic plan guided by the Board, coach (Mark Stone), GM of Football (Brad Dodd) and their new CEO.
"Once our new CEO is in place, this revitalised senior team will be taking our club into the future with a focus on quality recruitment and skills development,” Barich added.
"With our passionate and talented players, fantastic sponsors, and loyal members united in their support of the Demons, we are looking forward to 2025 and beyond."
Perth finished the 2024 season in ninth spot, winning four matches during the home and away campaign.
Fellow WAFL clubs South Fremantle and East Fremantle faced breach penalties in the past two years.
The Bulldogs were docked eight premiership points, fined $25,000 and docked 10 player points for 2023 as breaches were uncovered from the 2021 season.
The Sharks were also found guilty of a number of breaches relating to the WAFL's Total Player Payments (TPP) rules, involving superannuation payments.