Players says ball is in AFL’s court in pay dispute standoff

THE AFL players union says it is up to the league to get stalled pay talks back on track and clubs now fear the salary standoff will spill into next year.

AFL Players’ Association chief executive Paul Marsh. Picture Stuart Walmsley

THE AFL players union says it is up to the league to get stalled pay talks back on track.

“The ball is in their court,” Players’ Association chief executive Paul Marsh told the Herald Sun.

Two days of scheduled talks were cancelled by the league this month after the game’s 800 players presented full details of their final pay proposal.

One club boss said the AFL’s six-year counter-offer was more than $150 million shy of the AFLPA’s figure.

Clubs now fear the salary standoff will spill into next year and disrupt the pre-season competition.

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Asked why talks had broken down, Marsh said: “Well, that’s a question for the AFL. We provided them with a detailed proposal at the start of November and we are now waiting for a response.

“There is no bigger priority for the AFLPA at the moment than the collective bargaining agreement and, in our view, the way forward is to sit at the negotiating table with the AFL and keep going until we get the deal done.

“The ball is in their court.”

The players are fighting for a fixed percentage of the game’s rising revenues, a model used in other major sports around the world.

Paul Marsh is waiting on the AFL to respond to the AFLPA’s proposal. Picture: Norm Oorloff

Clubs were warned at a meeting with AFL executives in Sydney before last Friday night’s draft that they should not expect a speedy resolution to the deadlock.

The AFL is refusing to consider a percentage proposal, just as it did five years ago when former chief executive Andrew Demetriou emerged victorious after months of bitter negotiations.

That deal expired last month.

Marsh revealed pokies riches, supporter bequests and government grants had been removed from the players’ new percentage pitch.

“Having listened to the AFL and clubs and sought feedback from other key stakeholders, the players have put forward a proposal that is fair and reasonable, consistent with our partnership approach and we believe is affordable for the industry,” he said.

“The players remain committed to establishing a revenue share model and they’ve already made concessions on what goes into the revenue pool from which the players would receive their share.

“Exclusions include government grants, money from poker machines and bequests and donations.”

No talks between the AFL and AFLPA are planned for the coming weeks.