Former Parkmore Pirate Andrew McArthur was runner-up Southern Football League Division Three best and fairest last season, but is currently embroiled in a club transfer mix-up.By Glen Atwell
FOOTBALLER Andrew McArthur is in the middle of a clearance catastrophe that has questioned the validity of the Parkmore Pirates’ Division Three grand final victory against North Kew last season.
The former Pirate premiership player has been caught up in the registration ruckus after attempting to gain clearance from the Southern Football League (SFL) to play with Yarra Valley Mountain District Football League (YVMDFL) club Belgrave this year.
When the YVMDFL attempted to clear McArthur to Belgrave, the application was refused because, according to the Football Victoria database, he had never played for Parkmore.
Instead his last official club was Mornington Peninsula-Nepean Football League (MPNFL) side Rosebud, where McArthur had played in 2002.
The clearance clinker is even more puzzling considering McArthur played for VFL side Coburg for three years after leaving Rosebud between 2003-2005 before his stint with the Pirates last year.
“I feel like I’ve been deleted off the system somehow, I just don’t understand how this happened,” McArthur said.
North Kew president Jason Innes said if an unregistered player competed in a premiership side, questions should be asked.
“I had about 15 phone calls from players over the Easter weekend about this,” he said.
“I called the SFL, but didn’t really get a clear-cut answer.
“I’d be definitely disappointed if an unregistered player was allowed to play in a grand final.”
McArthur was reported for striking and sent off in the first quarter of the grand final last season and subsequently suspended for three weeks by the SFL tribunal.
But Belgrave coach Gary Connolly said because McArthur was officially transferred to his club from Rosebud, his suspension as a Parkmore player was invalid and he was therefore clear to play in round one.
“As far as we’re concerned, Andrew (McArthur) will be playing round one, he is not recognised by Football Victoria as a Parkmore player, so the suspension is null and void and the YVMDFL hasn’t suggested otherwise,” he said.
SFL chief executive Phil Stevens said the three-week sentence imposed on McArthur for striking should be imposed.
“If the Yarra Valley Mountain District Football League (YVMDFL) don’t recognise the three-week suspension and allow McArthur to play in round one, that is a clear violation of the Football Victoria agreement that all associated leagues are bound by,” he said.
Mr Stevens said McArthur was a registered player with Parkmore Football Club last year.
“There is no doubt about it, he was officially registered and a valid Parkmore player,” he said.
“It is possible there was some confusion with the way McArthur’s suspension was recorded on his tribunal history after the Division Three grand final.
“But there is no way that Parkmore’s premiership flag is invalid.”
McArthur said according to his clearance, his last official club was Rosebud, a member of the MPNFL.
“When I decided to play with Belgrave this year, I filled out my clearance form and listed Parkmore as my most recent previous club,” he said.
“The application was refused because I was not recognised as a Parkmore player last year, but instead as a Rosebud player.”
“When I started with Parkmore, I did fill out a registration form and was told that I had been cleared before I played, so I’m at a loss as to how this could have happened.”
YVMDFL administrative assistant Rebecca Wyhoon said the league attempted to transfer McArthur from SFL, but it was rejected because he was not registered with the league.
YVMDFL chief executive Ben O’Brien said that if the SFL confirmed McArthur’s three-week suspension, his league would enforce it.
“It is not our duty to argue the legitimacy of registrations, but if this player was on the field, reported, and suspended for three weeks by a league tribunal, he won’t be playing round one,” he said.
Parkmore football manager Mike Smyth said his club had not committed any errors in submitting McArthur’s clearance.
