A-League side Perth Glory's "attempt to subvert" the A-League salary cap "involved senior administrators approving direct payments to Andy Keogh's wife at the start of the current season," according to Dominic Bossi of THE AGE. Documents suggest that Natalie Keogh "received the first of at least two instalments" of A$25,000 ($19,000) of her husband's true salary in November in transactions approved by Glory CEO Jason Brewer. The payments "coincide with an alleged private sponsorship deal for Keogh, involving a company chaired by his uncle." The bank transfer "was made upon the request of a senior club official despite concerns raised internally that Natalie Keogh was not registered on the payroll." The funds for the transfers "were released through a West Australian mining company." It is understood that these payments "were part of a deal" for Keogh to be paid a total of A$200,000 ($152,000) through nominated beneficiaries that was not reported to FFA. None of these payments "were reported in the club's Total Player Payments submitted throughout the season to the FFA." Sources close to the investigation suggest that "it may have been related to accommodation costs provided by the club, later disguised as a private sponsorship deal" (THE AGE, 4/14). In Sydney, Michael Lynch wrote Australian football's licensed player agents "want Football Federation Australia to invest more in its compliance unit to ensure further rorting of the A-League salary cap is stamped out." And "it wants the game's governing body to take a tougher stance on agents who lack qualifications or the skills required to do the job." The agents "were speaking just a couple of days after veteran A-League coach Ernie Merrick also suggested that the game's governing body should crank up its investigative efforts across the league." Merrick: "The one thing I'd say is there's been a very detailed investigation into one club. I think there should be, on a regular basis, all clubs should be covered over a two- or three-year period so that there's a detailed investigation in all clubs, not just one" (SMH, 4/14).
