Done deal: AFL and AFLPA for players to take a 50 per cent pay cut until May 31

Negotiations stalled on Thursday night, but the pay stoush is now over. An agreement has been reached between AFL boss Gillon McLachlan and the league’s 850 players. Who won out?

A call has been made on the pay dispute. Picture: AAP Image/Scott Barbour

The AFL’s 850 players have won their fight to pocket 50 per cent of their wages until May 31.

Talks stalled on Thursday night before an agreement was reached ­between AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan and AFL Players’ Association CEO Paul Marsh.

If football does not restart on June 1, player wages will be cut by 70 per cent, returning to 50 per cent when games ­resume.

Players have also agreed to play games until the end of ­December, if required.

Standard playing contracts would be reactivated from ­November. McLachlan has ­offered to match the percentage of pay cuts suffered by the players this year.

“The players always understood the gravity of the situation and have agreed to take significant pay cuts to ensure we keep the industry going,” McLachlan said last night.

“The issue has been incredibly complex and fast-moving and we’ve been able to achieve in a couple of days what would normally take months.”

Marsh said: “The players have been rocked by what has transpired all over the world in recent weeks and want to play their role to ensure that our great game comes through this strong and united.

“The players have moved quickly to come to agreement with the AFL and the outcome is a fair one.”

About $8 million in AFL funding for the AFLPA has been withdrawn.

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The AFLPA board, led by president Patrick Dangerfield, signed off on the arrangement late yesterday before a phone hook-up with players from all 18 clubs.

The players’ union had volunteered a 50 per cent pay cut on Monday, a move that angered the AFL and triggered strong criticism from industry figures including footy legend Leigh Matthews and Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett.

Precise details of the deal will be finalised in the coming weeks, but both parties were determined to agree to modelling before the weekend to allow the AFL to accelerate plans to secure an estimated $500 million bank loan.

Players on minimum wages, the loss of match payments and players with heavily front or back-ended contracts are all accounted for in the agreement. The AFL is pushing to rewrite the collective bargaining agreement with players that expires at the end of 2022.

Gillon McLachlan thanked Patrick Dangerfield for his leadership.

Originally published as Done deal: AFL and AFLPA for players to take a 50 per cent pay cut until May 31