On 4 June 2020, the Football Federation Australia (FFA) Independent Disciplinary & Ethics Committee comprising Lachlan Gyles SC (Chair), Anthony Lo Surdo SC, and Robert Wheatley (the Committee) convened to consider an appeal by Wellington Phoenix players Timothy Payne and Oliver Sail (the Players) after they were each issued with a four (4) match suspension by FFA for being found to have breached FFA’s National Code of Conduct (the Code). This sanction was imposed by FFA following an incident involving the Players in Sydney, NSW on 24 March 2020.
The Players did not challenge that they had each breached the Code but appealed the severity of FFA’s sanction. Accordingly, the Committee was required to determine what sanction should be imposed in the circumstances.
The Committee today handed down its decision, which determined that each Player must serve a suspension of four (4) matches.
Each Player has a right to appeal the determination of the Committee to the FFA Appeals Committee. If a Player intends to do so, they must advise FFA within seven (7) days of receiving the written determination.
