Frequently Asked Questions
You have received a warning letter from the Member Disciplinary Officer.
The intention of this letter is to notify you that the Club has been made aware of a matter involving your membership, however in this instance no further action will be taken by the Club.
While this letter should serve as advice to take care in the future, you are not required to do anything further.
You received this letter in accordance with Rule 13.2(b).
As set out in the letter, the allegation will be referred to the Club’s Member Disciplinary Committee (MDC) for investigation.
If an allegation has been made against you, you can provide a response in writing regarding the allegation. Members are not eligible to attend the Member Disciplinary Committee hearing, and all cases are reviewed on the evidence (including your written response) available at the time of the meeting.
We recommend providing as much information as possible for the MDC to consider when they make their determination.
You only have a set period to time to provide a response, so it’s important that you provide this within the timeline, as outlined in the letter, as late correspondence may not be provided to the MDC for review.
If no response is received, the MDC will consider the matter using the information at its disposal.
The MDC will meet and review your matter based on the written and/or electronic evidence available to them.
If, following review of the matter, the MDC are satisfied that the allegation has been established the Member Disciplinary Committee may impose a suspension or other sanction on your membership (refer to Rule 13.2(f) for the possible outcomes).
In some circumstances you may be eligible to be offered a Prescribed Penalty (refer to Q4 for more information).
The Member Disciplinary Officer will advise you of the outcome within 10 business days of the meeting.
As set out in the Club’s Penalty Guide, a prescribed penalty may be offered as part of the disciplinary process.
The prescribed penalty was introduced by the Club prior to the 2026 AFL Home and Away Season and is only offered for specific cases as determined by Club management from to time.
A prescribed penalty is only available for first time offences and only applies to specific lower grade allegations.
Acceptance of a prescribed penalty is optional - it offers the benefit of a lower penalty for the allegation, however, forfeits the right to the Member Disciplinary and Appeals process.
As noted in Rule 13.2(b) the Club are required to provide the substance of the allegation, as outlined in your letter.
The request for, and release of any further information will be at the complete discretion of the Appeal Sub-Committee (ASC) Chair during an appeal meeting.
As per Club Rule 13.2(h), a member may appeal against the decision of the Member Disciplinary Committee (MDC) by giving written notice within 20 business days of receiving correspondence of the MDC decision.
If you choose to appeal the decision of the MDC, your matter will then be heard by the Appeals Sub-Committee (ASC). The ASC is made up of members who were not originally involved in the MDC determination.
The allegation will be re-heard by this committee, which in turn means that they may determine that your penalty may remain the same, or become more or less severe.
In accordance with rule 13.2(m) there is no avenue to appeal a decision made by the ASC, and therefore this should be taken into consideration prior to submitting your appeal request.
In accordance with Rule 13.2(i)(i), you may attend the Appeal (either in person or via telephone/video conference).
You are eligible to bring a support person with you to the appeal; however, the person must not be legal representation. You will need to advise the club in advance if you are wanting to bring a support person with you to your appeal.
The Club will endeavour to provide you with a suitable meeting time where possible, however if you cannot attend an appeal in person or by phone, or choose not to, your case will be heard via correspondence, and all available evidence will be tabled for the ASC to consider.
In accordance with rule 13.2(n) and 13.2(o), if your membership is suspended you:
- a) must immediately hand in your Membership Card (and if applicable, any Guest Card);
- b)are not entitled to enter the Members’ Area under (even as a guest);
- c) may not hold any office in or be a Committee Member of the Club;
- d) are not entitled to any refund of any Fees, Subscriptions or Levies paid with respect to your suspension period;
- e) must continue to pay in full all Fees, Subscriptions and Levies as and when they fall due;
- f) cannot vote at any General Meeting or ballot; and
- g) cannot nominate a person for Membership or for office or to be a Committee Member of the Club.
If you are expelled as a Member of the Club, you:
- a) must immediately hand in your Membership Card (and if applicable, any Guest Card);
- b) are not entitled to enter the Members’ Area under any circumstance (even as a guest); and
- c) are not entitled to any refund of any Fees, Subscriptions or Levies paid.
You are not eligible to reapply to become a Member.
A Reprimand is an official warning that you have breached the club rules. It does not restrict your member entitlements, or your ability to access the Members’ Reserve.
Yes, all disciplinary matters are treated confidentially and are not disclosed or discussed outside of the purpose of investigating the disciplinary allegation and action and to assist law enforcement.
In respect of your Personal Information, as per the MCC Privacy Policy, we will not use or disclose personal information (including sensitive information or health information) for purposes other than those connected with the primary purpose of collection, a related secondary purpose (and for any sensitive information, directly related) which we believe you should reasonably expect or where we are otherwise required or permitted under the Privacy Laws or other applicable law. As set out in the Privacy Policy, personal information may be used and disclosed for the purposes of investigating disciplinary actions and allegations and to assist law enforcement.
Please return your card by handing it in at Gate 2 membership reception, or posting to PO Box 175, East Melbourne VIC 8002.
Membership cards are automatically generated and will be posted to you at the relevant time to the address we have noted on your membership file. If you are currently serving a suspension the membership card you receive will be inactive.
The Club will email you to advise of your membership reinstatement and will post your membership card to the address we have listed on file.
Throughout your suspension you may still receive all communications and correspondence from the Club as per your personal email preferences. Members can update their email preferences by logging into their account.
Your eligibility to attend the relevant event will depend on the terms of your suspension.
When you receive an allegation letter from the club, you will be notified of the date when the MDC will meet to review your case. You will then hear an outcome from the club via email within 10 business days.
If you appeal the MDC determination, you will be advised of the date when the next ASC meeting will be held and you will then hear an outcome from the ASC via email within 10 business days.
