TWO high-profile local football identities have been barred from attending the next four official games of their respective clubs.
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Paul McKelvie and Wayne Gardner were both handed four-game suspensions following a lengthy conduct committee hearing at AFL House in Wagga last night.
The pair were found to have breached AFL NSW-ACT's code of conduct and will not be permitted to enter a ground at which their respective club is playing.
An investigation was launched by AFL Riverina following a punch-up between the pair at Langtry Oval on Saturday.
McKelvie is associated with Charles Sturt University, and Gardner with Marrar.
The sentence, however, does not ban the pair from attending other local sporting events, including Farrer League games at which their club is not playing.
Both CSU and Marrar will also have a suspended $500 fine hanging over their heads, which will be enforced if anyone associated with the club breaches the code of conduct.
The suspended fine expires at the end of the 2015 season.
McKelvie has coached and played with the Bushpigs in the past and continues to support the club, including running water during games at different times this year.
More importantly, McKelvie is currently a member of the Farrer League competition management committee.
It is not yet known what action the Farrer League board will take in regards to McKelvie's position.
Gardner has formerly sat on the AFL Riverina board and was a selector for the Farrer League representative team this year.
He has acted as Marrar's bench coach during a number of games this season.
Gardner was happy to go on the record following last night's hearing and conceded Saturday's incident was a bad look for the game.
But Gardner was left irate over an email or fax reportedly issued to the club earlier in the week by the AFL.
He claims the document named both parties as "guilty" before the hearing had taken place.
"Just disappointed with such a formal thing, where such a hefty sentence can be handed down, that they can't even get their paperwork right," Gardner told The Daily Advertiser.
"If that's what they're going to do, if you're going to have something formal along these lines (then) get it right.
"It was Macca (AFL NSW-ACT Southern manager Jason McPherson) who admitted it was a misprint, or mis-worded or something.
"Not that that changes the outcome of it.
"We'll accept it and move on."
McKelvie was unable to attend the hearing due to the birth of his child.
CSU president Jeff Angel represented the club at the hearing.
"Obviously the AFL had to make a stance on a pretty ordinary incident so we appreciate the need for what happened," Angel said.
"Paul is going to be disappointed."