As a result of Joondalup United’s withdrawal from the Men’s State League, during the Inter-Divisional Play-Offs, Football West has worked with the State League Standing Committee, its Game Development Committee and external legal counsel to finalise the process for filling that vacancy for 2025.
This process has been carefully considered against its impact on the competition integrity of the Men’s State League as a whole, as well as on the individual clubs and based on sporting merit.
State League Division One/Two
Article 5 of Annexure 1 (Men’s State League) of the Community Competition Rules, Clause 5 states:
The winning Team of the Final match will play in State League Division 1 the following season. The losing Team of the Final Match will play in State League Division 2 in the following season.
As such, the winners of the State League Inter-Divisional Promotion Play-Off Final Match will play in State League Division 1 in 2025.
Regarding the vacant position in State League Division 1, Article 1 of Annexure 1 (Men’s State League) of the Community Competition Rules, Clause 6 states:
Should a vacancy be created in any Division of the State League before the commencement of the relevant season, then that vacancy may be offered to another Club chosen by Football West in consultation with the State League Standing Committee.
At the recommendation of the State League Standing Committee, the vacant State League Division 1 position will be offered to the losing Team of the State League Inter-Divisional Promotion Play-Off Final on completion of the match.
State League Division Two/Amateur Premier Division
As per Article 6 of Annexure 1 (Men’s State League) of the Community Competition Rules, the Amateur Premier Division champions Wembley Downs will be promoted to State League Division 2, while Wanneroo City, who finished bottom of State League Division 2, will be relegated to the Amateur Premier Division.
The Team who finished second bottom in State League Division 2, Swan United, will take part in a Play-Off with the Team that finishes second in the Amateur Premier Division. This will determine who will play in State League Division 2 next season, subject to State League eligibility requirements.
Regarding the vacant position in Men’s State League Division 2, as per the above article, Article 1 of Annexure 1 (Men’s State League) of the Community Competition Rules, Clause 6, Football West will work with the State League Standing Committee to determine the process for fulfilling the vacancy in State League Division 2. This process will commence following the conclusion of the Play-Off game.
How the decisions were reached
The unexpected withdrawal of Joondalup United from the State League this week occurred during a critical period, with the first legs of the Inter-Divisional Play-Off semi-finals having been completed.
After receiving notice of Joondalup United's withdrawal via email just an hour before the club announced the decision on social media on Wednesday 18 September, Football West immediately referred the matter to the State League Standing Committee.
The State League Standing Committee convened an emergency meeting via Teams on Thursday 19 September. The meeting involved key stakeholders to ensure a comprehensive and informed approach to the decision-making process.
The State League Standing Committee explored several options, prioritising competition integrity, fairness to the clubs involved and adherence to sporting merit.
After thorough discussion and recognising the need to reduce uncertainty for the affected clubs, the State League Standing Committee formalised their recommendation. One member abstained due to a direct conflict of interest.
The State League Standing Committee's recommendation was presented to the Football West Game Development Committee for review. After consideration, the Game Development Committee approved the intent of the SLSC's recommendation. This ensured a swift, transparent resolution that upheld competition integrity. External legal advice was also sought to maintain adherence to Competition Rules.
The decisions were taken to preserve the integrity of the competition, ensure the outcomes were reached based on sporting merit, and provide clarity for all clubs involved.
See relevant documents below:
• State League Standing Committee Recommendation
• Football West Decision Notification