Brisbane Roar have been deducted three points after the Australian Professional Leagues (APL) found the Liberty A-League side breached competition regulations by fielding an ineligible player.
The fixture in question relates to last week’s match against Western United on March 11, which the Roar had won 2-0 thanks to a Shea Connors brace.
However, after being issued with a show cause notice, Western have been awarded a 3-0 win and three competition points. Brisbane have seven business days to appeal.
It now means Western return to the Liberty A-League summit by three points, though Sydney FC have two games in hand. The Roar, meanwhile, are eighth in the standings and nine points adrift of the top four.
“The Brisbane Roar player was ineligible to participate as a result of having been subject to a mandatory suspension for receiving a fourth yellow card in the club’s Round 14 match on March 4, 2023,” said A-Leagues Commissioner Greg O’Rourke.
“The sanctions in our regulations are clear and have been applied as such.”
With the sanctions in mind, the APL can also confirm the following remains unchanged.
Any goals scored by any of the club’s player during the match will still be counted for the individual purposes of determining the winner of the Golden Boot and be eligible to be voted for the Goal of the Year.
Meanwhile, any Julie Dolan Medal votes awarded to the club’s players for the matches will remain valid.
