AFLPA boss Paul Marsh on hardship fund, State of Origin and more of the AFL’s biggest issues

Players want State of Origin back. Coaches have stood firm. But they might bend and allow the return of representative football if two big concessions are made. JON RALPH reports.

Footy’s retired players will share in a $55 million injury and hardship fund starting next month which will see players with serious life-altering injuries securing payouts of more than $500,000.

AFL player union boss Paul Marsh told this masthead after protracted negotiations the AFLPA would in April reveal details of a fund helping players battling concussion-based issues and spinal injuries who are unable to work.

It means players on AFL lists from 2017 onwards who had not played an official AFL game and were shut-out of many health benefits from the player union will now have access to a full range of AFLPA care.

Marsh admits that there is not a bottomless pool of money but the $11 million fund-per-season over five years is a huge lift on what started as a $250,000 per season allowance as recently as 2016.

“We are telling the industry and players we are looking at an April launch and it’s going to be a really significant improvement for our members,” he said.

“We are going to have a really significant new benefit which is the serious injury benefit. This is for the player who has an injury that is so bad that their working life is impacted. “Concussions, spinal nerve damage, those types of things. So there will be a pretty significant payment that sits around that.”

AFLPA boss Paul Marsh.

Asked if the cap would be around $500,000 for that payment, which does not limit future help, Marsh replied: “We are still working through it with the AFL. It might be a little bit more than that, but it will be a significant benefit. If a player has had their life seriously impacted by footy, then it’s appropriate.”

The new fund will not be limited to any generation of players, with the AFLPA to launch a new preventive screening initiative for past players including blood tests and skin cancer checks in Gather Round.

The fund, which current players set aside as part of their most recent pay deal, also includes career-ending injury payouts, a hardship fund, a lifetime healthcare program with $10,000 payments for surgeries and total and permanent disability insurance.

Coaches want salary cap relief and extra list spots if State of Origin is to return.

In an exclusive interview also Marsh revealed:

● Players have a huge appetite for state of origin football but AFL coaches would want compensation in the form of extra list spots and even salary cap relief if one of their stars suffered a serious injury in the game.

● Some star players will in coming years earn close to that mythical $2 million salary per year when they tap into a new $35 million marketing fund that could see some players reap hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.

● The cohort of players abusing the drug code is a “small” group that is not growing, with Marsh adamant current measures in that policy allow club doctors to intervene to ensure they are dealt with.

● The AFLPA has urged the AFL to consider double-headers and a spate of huge clashes under a ‘Rivalry Round’ format for the upcoming AFLW season that could take place in the men’s pre-finals bye.

Originally published as AFLPA boss Paul Marsh on hardship fund, State of Origin and more of the AFL’s biggest issues