Football Australia announces record financial and sporting sanctions against Melbourne Victory

Finding that Melbourne Victory “brought the game into disrepute following the unacceptable actions” of its supporters during the A-League match on Saturday 17th December, Football Australia has imposed a record fine on the club, coupled with threatens to dock them 10 competition points.

After considering Melbourne Victory’s response to the issued Show Cause Notice and the measures since taken by the club, Football Australia today imposed financial sanctions totalling $550,000, comprising $450,000 in fines and damages and $100,000 in lost revenue due to the sporting sanctions imposed.

After more than 100 Victory supporters stormed the AAMI Park pitch during the pre-Christmas Melbourne derby, 29 people were arrested over the pitch invasion with Victoria Police subsequently charging 24 people with various offences such as disrupting a match, violent disorder, riotous behaviour, and discharging flares.

Stating that the scenes at the Melbourne Derby were the worst witnessed in Australian football during the A-League era and that Football Australia would continue to work with the Club and the APL to ensure there is never a repeat of this conduct, Football Australia Chief Executive, James Johnson advised “Football Australia has found that the Melbourne Victory Football Club, through the inexcusable conduct of many individuals who entered the field of play from the Melbourne Victory Active Supporters section at the Melbourne Derby on 17 December 2022, has committed a serious breach of our rules and regulations.

“The sanctions we have issued against Melbourne Victory are the heaviest in the A-League era. These sanctions are reflective of our desire to remove this behaviour, and those that perpetuate it, from our game. They also form part of a broader response to this incident which has seen seventeen bans issued against individuals to date, including three lifetime bans, and preliminary sanctions against Melbourne Victory."

With Football Australia having already imposed interim sanctions on Melbourne Victory, in addition to the new sanctions, the governing body will establish and manage a taskforce and include various stakeholders and experts from the Victoria and NSW Police, and hosting venues. The terms of reference of the newly created taskforce will be defined soon and will include developing measures to curb flare use and reduce entry of flares into venues, explore areas of improvement for security and policing venues, review supporter liaison and Marshall training use, review of active support ticket and member requirements and the review of supporter marches pre-match.

Football Australia has also determined that the A-League Round 8, which was abandoned after 22 minutes, must be replayed in April 2023 from the 22nd minute.

For the return of active supporters in the 2023/24 A-League Men season, the Club is required to work with Football Australia and the APL to implement determined measures. This could include a requirement to ensure all active supporters to be valid Club Members, or allocated ticketing where tickets are sold in designated active supporter areas.

Melbourne Victory has seven business days to appeal Football Australia’s Determination should the Club elect to do so.

Sanctions issued against Melbourne Victory Football Club:

Financial Sanctions

• $450,000 in financial penalties split between:

• A direction to the Club to reimburse Melbourne City FC (home team) up to $150,000 in damages caused to the venue and equipment by the pitch invasion and other unruly supporter conduct;

• A fine payable to Football Australia of $150,000;

• A suspended fine of $100,000 if another pitch invasion by the Club supporters occurs this season and three subsequent seasons ending 2025/26; and

• A direction to the Club to pay a minimum of $50,000 towards the cost of the replay of the abandoned game in April 2023.

Sporting Sanctions

• Melbourne Victory FC must not sell any match day tickets in the areas ordinarily designated within their home venue at AAMI Park as Club home active supporter bays, including the areas known as the North End active fans or South End active fans for the remainder of the 2022/23 A-League Men season at the Club home games - irrespective of venue - including any A-League Men Finals. This requirement represents lost revenue of $100,000.

• The first three rows of seats behind the goal at both the North End and South End, or equivalent if a home game is not played at AAMI Park, to be tarped off at all Club home games for the remainder of the 2022/23 A-League season, including any A-League Men Finals.

• In addition, rows A - J of Bay 38 at the North End, or equivalent if a home game is not played at AAMI Park, will remain empty at all Club home games for the remainder of the 2022/23 A-League Men season, including any A-League Men Finals.

• Any tickets already sold in these areas will be cancelled. Affected ticket holders to re-allocated seating by the Club to other parts of the venue in groups of up to four people or refunded. Direct families of up to six will be permitted to be seated together.

• No allocated Club supporter seating at away games. Affected ticket holders need to contact the Club to be re-allocated seating in other parts of the venue in groups of up to four people or be refunded. Direct families of up to six will be permitted to be seated together.

• No active fan concessions for megaphones, drums, and flags for the remainder of the 2022/23 A-League Men season.

• An automatic 10-point deduction for each instance of a triggering event during this season and the next three seasons, ending at the conclusion of the 2025/26 A-League Men season. A triggering event is if a match is suspended due to Club supporter conduct, the assault of coaches, players, match officials or pitch invasion by the Club’s supporters.

Following the announcement of the sanctions, Australian Professional Leagues, Chief Executive, Danny Townsend stated “the behaviour we all witnessed on that evening has no place in our game, and we continue to work with all parties to ensure the best possible match day experience.

“The majority of fans are now able to return to enjoy the game we all love and we are all looking forward to an incredible year of A-Leagues and international football in Australia and New Zealand.”

Images: The 17th December pitch invasion at AAMI Park (top and below, credit: Victoria Police) and Football Australia Chief Executive James Johnson (middle, credit: Football Australia).