THE AFL has dished out more fines for list lodgement breaches, with Collingwood penalised a second time and North Melbourne discovering its fate after self-reporting.
The Magpies had already received a $20,000 fine, half of which was suspended until October 31 this year, as punishment for Flynn Appleby training at the Holden Centre in the lead-up to the 2017 drafts.
Appleby eventually joined Collingwood in the rookie draft.
Revealed: Mystery Pie at centre of $20K fine
AFL rules state that a player of any age who was invited to a Draft Combine – national, state or Rookie Me – cannot train with an AFL club or affiliated state-league side ahead of that year's drafts.
Appleby's housemate Callan Wellings trained with Collingwood's VFL team at the same time as his former GWV Rebels TAC Cup teammate last November, but this was not initially common knowledge.
The suggestion at the time was a rival club dobbed the Magpies in to the AFL about Appleby after sharing an interest in drafting him.
The AFL whacked them with another $20,000 fine, half of which is suspended until October 31, for Wellings, who is on their VFL list.
AFL.com.au exclusively revealed on February 10 that the Kangaroos self-reported to the AFL the fact three ineligible players had trained with their new VFL club before last year's drafts.
Roos self-report on rule confusion
AFL.com.au understands North rookie Thomas Murphy and Fremantle ruckman Lloyd Meek were two of those footballers.
The AFL has not released the names of any of the players, because the issue is with the clubs and not the individuals.
The Roos' sanction for the trio of ineligible players was a $30,000 fine, including $10,000 of it being suspended until October 31.
AFL general counsel Andrew Dillon said both clubs failed to lodge details of unlisted players training with them.
North officials' decision to volunteer the information was taken into account, while "mitigating factors" were also considered.
Multiple sources AFL.com.au spoke to from within AFL and TAC Cup ranks said they were either unaware of the rule or its exact interpretation.
Some believed the rule applied only to 18-year-olds or players eligible for the draft for the first time.
But an AFL spokesman told AFL.com.au in February that "the player's age is not relevant".
Several sources say this rule has been broken right across the competition for years, but these penalties could change that.
