West Coast Fever reveal staggering details of salary cap breaches in 2017 and 2018 seasons

The West Coast Fever have admitted that players were offered use of cars, employment within or outside the club and accommodation as a part of its salary cap breaches.

The Fever were fined $300,000 and stripped of 12 premiership points for the upcoming Super Netball season after being found guilty of breaches made during the 2017 and 2018 seasons.

Following the mammoth penalties handed down in December, the club opened up to its members in a letter detailing exactly what the breaches had been.

While the club did not name the individuals involved in the breaches, it stated that those responsible are "no longer associated with West Coast Fever or with Netball WA in any way".

Fever coach Stacey Marinkovich, who is also the coach of the Australian Diamonds, was cleared of any wrongdoing.

The full extent of all the breaches were detailed in the letter as follows:

• The breaches occurred as a result of a period of player contracting undertaken in 2017 and 2018.
• During these periods, confirmation letters of offer were provided to our athletes, along with their formal playing contracts. These letters referred to additional support the club was willing to offer during their contract.
• Examples of these offers included the use of our fleet cars, support with securing employment either within or outside the club, and support in covering accommodation and travel.
• These offers of additional support were made to add value to the formal contracts offered to our athletes. They were deliberately designed to circumvent the League's total salary cap.
• By intentionally failing to report this additional value, the club breached the salary cap.

"We ask our Fever family, partners, stakeholders and fans to once again accept our apologies for the disappointments of recent months," the letter read.

"With your continued support, we move into 2021 as a stronger Club – ready to demonstrate that we have the courage, conviction and competitiveness to tackle the toughest season in our history with the grit and determination synonymous with West Coast Fever."

The 2021 Suncorp Super Netball season will commence on May 1, with the full fixture to be released in late February.