AFLW players overwhelmingly support revised collective bargaining agreement

When the AFL put a collective bargaining agreement to AFLW players a month ago, 30 per cent voted against it, putting the competition in doubt. A revised deal received a very different result paving the way for the 2020 fixture.

Carlton star Darcy Vescio was part of a group that opposed the original deal.

The AFL Women’s collective bargaining agreement has been passed with an overwhelming majority of players in favour of the deal, paving the way for 2020 season plans to be cemented.

The offer was given the tick by 98 per cent of players in a competition-wide vote that closed on Sunday night with the pre-season to start on November 11 and the AFLW04 fixture to be announced Tuesday.

It marked a significant increase of support compared to the previous deal, which saw just 70 per cent of players when a vote was held earlier this month.

Carlton star Darcy Vescio was part of a group that opposed the original deal. Picture: Getty Images

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Next season will see teams play eight rounds plus three weeks of finals, with the competition expanding to nine rounds with three weeks of finals in 2021 and 10 rounds with three weeks of finals in 2022.

Union chief executive Paul Marsh said the huge shift in the vote result was a direct result of tinkering the deal to meet player wishes and that he had been “pretty certain that there would be no issue” this time around.

But growing the competition further to ensure every team plays each other once remains a priority.

“There’s no doubt that the players have an ambition of growing the number of games, and every other aspect of the competition for that matter,” he said.

“That is something that we were very clear on. We pushed hard on the number of games with the AFL, and we got a good outcome for the next three years with growth every year, but the players still want to play everyone once, and the AFL is very aware of that.”

The next batch of AFLW stars will find out their 2020 fixture. Picture: AFL Photos/Getty Images

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Marsh conceded that the association learned plenty from this year’s negotiation process and would handle some things differently if it had its time again.

He said the players had become significantly more engaged than they were in 2018 negotiations and that the union would adjust its consultation process to allow for more consultation with players in future deal talks.

The new deal was presented last week after players agreed to drop their push for 13 rounds plus finals by 2020, with greater prizemoney for finalists and a minimum of four months’ notice on key season dates just two of a number of assurances provided to players in the new deal.

Players were also promised an independent review of AFLW to be undertaken by the league.

“The players … wanted to send a message to the industry that they want this competition to keep going, that they want the issues that sit around it to be dealt with and heard and this will do a lot of that,” he said.

“That was an important change in the final deal that is going to allow us to have a productive conversation with the AFL. The players will be involved and we can work through the issues … that’s going to help us keep pushing the competition forward.”

AFL head of women’s football Nicole Stevenson said certainty was a key pillar now assured to players.

“This is a great outcome for women and girls’ football across the country,” she said.

“It delivers certainty to the current AFLW playing group and allows investment in the future of women’s football to sustain the long-term growth of the women’s game at all levels.”

Originally published as AFLW players overwhelmingly support revised collective bargaining agreement