AFLPA boss Paul Marsh fires back at Eddie McGuire over union attack
Eddie McGuire labelled the AFLPA’s hub portrayal as ‘extreme,’ saying discussions about the make up of the season were taking place at the ‘adults table.’ Now, AFLPA boss Paul Marsh and Patrick Dangerfield have responded.
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Players’ boss Paul Marsh has hit back at Collingwood president Eddie McGuire over his attack on the union’s “extreme” portrayal of the AFL’s contentious hubs plan.
McGuire savaged the AFL Players’ Association on Wednesday night after players expressed concern at the prospect of being quarantined for up to 20 weeks.
The outspoken Pies boss – and member of the AFL’s coronavirus “war cabinet” – said the 20-week hub option was “not even on the table” before declaring dismissively that discussions about the make up of the 2020 season were now taking place at the “adults table”.
McGuire said the AFLPA had presented its members with the AFL’s “worst-case scenario” but it emerged on Thursday morning that the 20-week hub plan was the only proposal the league had provided.
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“I don’t know what the adults table is,” a bemused Marsh said.
“Maybe you can get him (McGuire) to define that. But what I would say is I’d like to think that as the most important stakeholders in the industry, along with the fans, you’d hope the players would be included at the adults table and we’d be provided with all the information and given an opportunity to work through all these issues.”
McGuire accused the AFLPA of scaring the industry and causing distress.
“It was really badly put (by the AFLPA),” McGuire told Channel 9.
“There has been massive stress in families over this and it’s (the 20-week quarantine plan) not even on the table.
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“This is the adults table this time. We are not talking about football, we are in the middle of a pandemic …
“To say that this is something that’s really on the table, I mean that is so extreme. That is armageddon. Over here is where we are heading.
“They should have their contingencies, there is no problem with that, but don’t scare everybody.”
Asked if he was surprised by the extent of the criticism being directed at the AFLPA, Marsh said: “A lot of people are not happy unless they are unhappy – that’s just a general comment I would make.
“We do understand how tough it is for everyone, we are working through our own set of issues … but because it’s such a high-profile industry it gets played out as though footballers think they are better than others.
“We will get to a point here, I’m sure, where we can all move forward but there’s going to be a lot of commentary around it until we get to that point.”
Geelong star and AFLPA president Patrick Dangerfield also defended the union’s conduct.
He said players were pushing for shorter stints in the hubs.
“We have only been presented one option so far and quite clearly that is a worst-case scenario for the AFL but it’s also incumbent on them to find a way for us all to restart the season.
“Will you have players that won’t commit at all? Yeah, potentially.
“We have got players that have got kids on the way. There are just so many different personal circumstances. And if a player weren’t to include themselves, we’ve just got to be really understanding why.
“Those players and families will have to make that decision at the appropriate time.”
Asked if he was disappointed at the way the player union was being portrayed by senior football figures such as McGuire, Dangerfield said: “It’s not really something that you can control. We deal with the facts that we are given from the AFL and we update the players accordingly.
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“There is no point getting the facts and then giving a wishy-washy version of what could happen if everything goes well.
“We have been given one set of where the AFL are at and our duty, clearly, is to provide that detail so that players can help make an informed decision around what is best for the whole playing group.
“I don’t think Marshy is losing too much sleep at night over some of the comments.”
Marsh said the AFLPA was awaiting the league’s position on whether players who refused to enter the hubs would be paid.
“We are hoping to move the proposal, that’s what we are working on . if we get to a point at the end where we’ve got something that we think is more acceptable then we may take it to a vote, I’m not sure yet,” he said.
Marsh said the AFL was expecting strict border restrictions to remain in place until at least September.
“If the government restrictions change, our view would be, and I’m sure the AFL’s would be, that we will move to a more normal, structured season,” Marsh said.