ARCHIE Thompson’s sister is on an AWFA list of players who have to now justify being Australian.
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A report generated by a football website on citizenship status has resulted in letters being sent to all bar one of the clubs in the league asking they check the residency status of players, coaches and officials.
The list includes some players who have been at clubs for more than a decade and at least one life member of an Albury club.
It also includes political refugees.
Even players given exemptions last year might have to re-justify their status.
The Border Mail understands the sister of Melbourne Victory striker Thompson, Matilita Barrot, is on the Twin City list.
Myrtleford was the only club not on the list, having already submitted all the necessary paperwork around its foreign players.
AWFA secretary Kiera Hayes said the report was generated in response to the confusion around Wangaratta losing points after exceeding the visa player limit in the opening round this year.
AWFA limits the number of visa players to three per senior group, with only two allowed on the park at any one time.
“We have always had these rules but in the past two years we have been more proactive,” she said.
“After what happened in the opening round with Wangaratta and Boomers we used the My Football website to produce a report on all players without Australian citizenship, and there were more than 80 names, including 15 from one club.
“Some of these have refugee status, others are dual citizens, but we really just wanted to put this to bed, sort it all out.
“Even Albury United coach Dave Smith came up in the list.”
Hayes said Twin City was the first club to seek to state its case at an executive meeting on Monday night.
Wanderers president Harry Wilhelm said there were as many as six senior players — from seniors, reserves and thirds — on the list at their club.
“Twin City has responded immediately and we do know that at one stage they had three of these players on a team list,” Hayes said.
“But there will be no hard and fast rule, we’ll need to judge each club on a case by case basis.
“Last year when the exemptions were granted to two Twin City players it was the result of the clubs taking a vote — I’d imagine that will be the case again here.”