Former Carlton player Dennis Armfield has urged AFL Victoria to act after a “simple admin error” saw his local footy club sensationally kicked out of their league finals.
The Bacchus Marsh Football Netball Club revealed on social media on Thursday that their reserves team had been disqualified from the season one week into the Ballarat Football Netball League finals series, despite having entered the post-season on top of the ladder.
The reason? Team coach Marc Dransman, who had mistakenly not been listed as coach on official team sheets, was not an accredited coach for a chunk of the season, in violation of league and AFL rules.
WHAT’S GAMBLING REALLY COSTING YOU? Set a deposit limit. For Free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au.
Watch every match of the 2026 Toyota AFL Finals Series before the Grand Final LIVE with no ad-breaks during play on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.
Dransman, a volunteer at the club, had had his name handwritten on team sheets alongside that of Armfield, who coaches the senior team.
The punishment was a heavy one: Bacchus Marsh were hit with a $1000 fine and deducted points from all reserves games prior to Dransman receiving his accreditation.
It saw the team, which had finished as minor premiers with a 15-3 record and lost a thrilling final to second-placed North Ballarat by a solitary point last week, abruptly booted from finals.
Their upcoming semi-final against Ballarat, scheduled for Sunday afternoon, is listed as “cancelled” on the league’s PlayHQ page.
The Cobras took to Instagram to reveal the ban, as well as expressing its disappointment that a plea to AFL Victoria to refer the decision to a Regional Appeals Committee over the “manifestly excessive” sanction.
“This was an administrative oversight for which the Club accepts full responsibility,” the statement reads.
“The Club is extremely disappointed that the matter will not proceed to an appeal hearing, particularly given the significant consequences for our players, who participated in good faith, gained no advantage and had no involvement in the administrative failure.
“We are considering the decision and any remaining options available to the Club.”
Bacchus Marsh’s statement. (Source: bacchusmarshfnc Instagram)Source: Fox Sports
In response, BFNL chairman Rob Simmonds told the Herald Sun that the league’s hands were tied.
“It’s not a league law, this one, it’s an AFL ruling,” Simmonds said.
“We can’t alter it, we can’t suspend it, we can’t do anything. It’s a law that’s done by the AFL.
“The rule is black and white there, and the rule is above us.
“And as a league, we don’t have any jurisdiction over making any alterations to an AFL rule, because they’re the bosses at the end of the day.”
Rule 13 of AFL Victoria’s laws states that “all coaches and assistant coaches of AFL Victoria Country Clubs are required to obtain Registered Accreditation Level Accreditation, to a minimum of 90 points prior to their first match as coach or assistant coach in the relevant system”.
Armfield, who retired from the AFL in 2017 after 145 games and 75 goals for the Blues, told SEN’s The Captain’s Run that the decision is an “overreach of power”.
He also described the mistake as a “simple admin error”.
“In community sport, it’s all about people, volunteers in football, and we’re just trying to do our best with limited funds and limited resources,” the 39-year old said.
“We make a mistake on a single game, and now this is the outcome, which I just think is an overreach.
“The penalty doesn’t match the crime, I don’t believe.
Dennis Armfield previously played for Park Orchards in the Eastern Football League before switching to Bacchus Marsh. Picture: Stuart MilliganSource: News Corp Australia
“We put in things at the start of the year digitally, and unfortunately it’s just been missed.
“It’s something that has no impact on a game of football. It’s a name on a piece of paper.
“To wipe a reserves team – heart and soul, they do it for nothing, they love the club, they’ve usually got their families involved – it doesn’t just affect the 22 blokes that are going to run out, it affects their families, it affects our community. I just don’t think they’ve thought of all this.”
The ban comes a year after North Ballarat were themselves kicked out of league finals after being found to have fielded ineligible players.
Armfield told SEN he hopes the harsh sanctions don’t set a “precedent” to make local football clubs’ jobs even harder.
“Do they want everyone looking at team sheets, and analysing whether an assistant coach or a runner or a trainer is fully accredited?” he said.
“Is that what they want in local football now, when let’s be honest, many clubs are going bankrupt or breaking down or having to merge because they don’t have the volunteers to support them.
“We’re not shying away from the mistake, we’re remorseful. We said to them (the BFNL) we’re willing to compromise, make any changes, do some education, do some training to make sure that it doesn’t happen again.
“But they’ve just come back and said ‘this is your punishment’.”
Armfield played 145 games for the Blues before retiring in 2017. (Photo by Adam Trafford/AFL Media/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Armfield said the club would fight to the bitter end to attempt to overturn the sanction.
Legal action could potentially force an injunction to either block the game or even allow the Cobras permission to play until the matter is resolved.
“Luckily, we’ve got a Sunday game with our competition, so we’re going to try,” the former Blue said, urging other local football teams and organisations to show their support.
“We’re going to try and turn every stone. We’d love for community sport to get behind us and go we’re all in it together.
“It’s had no impact on a game, it’s not cheating, it’s a name on a piece of paper.
“I don’t want to see this being a precedent that AFL Vic want to create … I wouldn’t want to see anyone punished for this with this punishment.
“We acted on good faith, we changed it, we thought we were going to get a slap on the wrist of some sort.
“We’re a local community sporting club that is run off the smell of an oily rag, volunteers doing many jobs, under-resourced as it is. One small admin change has now ultimately impacted the lives of 30 young men and their families and the community, which I think is an overreach of power.”