I mentioned some grumblings in Canberra about this earlier in the year. Looks like it's all coming to a head:
By
Melanie Dinjaski
Updated September 9 2025 - 9:46am, first published 5:30am
A National Premier League squad and senior staff at a major soccer club in Canberra have been working to remedy rising tensions after accusations of team members not being paid.
Over the last week, the situation reached boiling point among the men's NPL playing group at Gungahlin United as word circulated among the
Canberra soccer community that allegedly one player, and the team's head coach, Javier Roca, had not been receiving payment as per their contracts.
Gungahlin United play in the NPL Men's competition. Picture by Karleen Minney
Gungahlin United president Neil Harlock said the club was in the process of addressing the payment complaints with those involved, but said there was an issue of contract requirements not being met.
Gungahlin United describes itself as "one of the largest community soccer clubs in the ACT", with over 2,000 registered players, and has teams in juniors all the way to the NPL level.
Last year the men's first grade team finished the season atop the ladder.
However, the senior program was rocked when a player boycott was threatened in the regular season finale a fortnight ago against Monaro Panthers.
One player known to be at the centre of a payment dispute was French import Loick Lespinasse, who lined up in three matches for Gungahlin in June, and scored four goals before returning to Europe.
The men's first grade head coach Roca - who, unlike players, is employed on a full-time contract - was understood to be awaiting payment of approximately $8000 as of last week.
Players that wish to remain anonymous also have concerns about alleged late payments.
"It's not about the money, it's about the principle," one player told
The Canberra Times.
"The club aspires to go to the national second division. If you agree to a number, then that needs to be paid on the date it's supposed to to be paid.
"Gungahlin has great potential to do great things, but there's some things that have left a sour taste in my mouth about how the club is being run. The operation has to match the ambition."
In regards to Lespinasse, Gungahlin United's president confirmed the Frenchman had received partial payment because the club had raised concerns about "not a fulfilment of contract clauses".
The club and the player's agent had since been in communication in the last month and were negotiating an agreed final payment.
"We needed to make sure things were met," Harlock said.
The club considered Roca's situation to be similar, with Harlock pointing to "minimum requirements as part of that contract, not just to coach first-grade".
According to Harlock, Roca met with senior club staff late last week, and it was agreed that Gungahlin United would "proceed with payment" as long as the coach met the "minimum requirements as part of the performance contract".
"We're not just going to pay anybody any amount of money just to coach first-grade. We've got other commitments that are tied into that agreement," the club president said.
"For the players and the coaches in our programs, that will be met. They'll be met within fair and reasonable timing that we are contractually obliged to do, or, if not, that'll be communicated," he added.
Despite their success last year, Gungahlin United did not reach the NPL finals stages this season, finishing fifth on the ladder.
This Saturday, Canberra Croatia will play Monaro Panthers for a spot in the grand final on September 20 against Tigers FC at McKellar Park.
, full-stop
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