An explosive report has revealed A-League’s men’s players dissatisfaction with governing body

A damning report from the player’s union has revealed an alarming rate of dissatisfaction and lack of trust towards the governing body in managing, improving and growing the game.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - NOVEMBER 24: Players walk onto the filed before the round five A-League Men match between Macarthur FC and Auckland FC at Allianz Stadium, on November 24, 2024, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Nolan/Getty Images)

An explosive report compiled by the player’s union has found half of A-League’s Men’s players don’t trust its governing body to grow the league.

The PFA A-League’s Men report, to be released on Tuesday, is based on results from a player survey conducted at the end of the 2023/24 season.

It found 27 per cent of players were very dissatisfied with how the Australian Professional Leagues managed the league and 46 per cent had “low trust” in the organisation’s ability to grow and improve the league.

Just 11 per cent reported having “high trust” in the APL.

The results follow a tumultuous season for the APL in which it was forced to make half of its workforce redundant, shut down its digital arm and slash the central distribution fund to clubs from $2 million to $530,000.

Players highlighted three key areas they felt the APL needed to focus on to improve the league.

A total of 58 per cent put broadcast as their top priority, 51 per cent said atmosphere and 41 per cent said visibility of the league.

Brisbane Roar player Jack Hingert, who is also a PFA executive committee member, said when the APL took the reins from Football Australia he had been optimistic about the future of the game.

“Unfortunately the decisions made since then have been disappointing,” Hingert said.

“Despite securing a $140 million investment, the league now faces significant challenges, including reduced distributions.

“The most concerning issue is the lack of consultation with players on major decisions. This affects our livelihoods, as we are the ones on the field.

“The absence of transparency has led to a breakdown in trust between us and the APL.

“It shouldn’t be this way—we should be collaborating to achieve a shared goal of a stronger, more competitive league. If we are not included in the decision-making process, how can we be expected to fully support and invest in the league’s vision?

“There currently seems to be a lack of clear direction.”

Hingert said he believed the league had plenty of potential, especially with the surge in interest post the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

But said growth wasn’t possible unless players had a “seat at the table”.

“A more collaborative approach would allow us to collectively work towards a brighter future for the league,” Hingert said.

As reported by Code Sports last week - the report did find several positive signs - particularly the huge jump in transfer revenues. ALM clubs took in $17.5 million in transfer fees in 2024 - which rises to $20 million when add ons are included.

This is up from the $10 million the previous year and a big increase on the $3.2 million made in 2022.

While the report found crowd numbers are yet to return to pre-pandemic levels there were positive signs.

Average attendances have risen to 8,076 from 7533 - but are still well off the 10,423 fans who attended matches in the 2018/19 season.

A-League commission Nick Garcia accepted the sentiment of the playing group, but added much improvements have been made in the time since the survey was conducted.

“We note this survey was completed in May when there was a lot of uncertainty about the league,” Garcia said in a statement.

“We have worked through a lot of these challenges over the last year to stabilise the league and improve all revenue streams, and we continue to work with all stakeholders on our new league strategy to help us drive sustainable growth across the leagues.

“We take these points very seriously and the players’ priority focus areas are among the key points we are aiming to improve with the new league strategy. The players are some of our most important stakeholders and we are committed to growing the league in a sustainable way to ensure a healthy and growing ecosystem for our sport.

A-League Commissioner Nick Garcia. Picture: Getty

“While there is a lot of work to be done, it’s been a really strong start to our 20th season, with a 30% uplift in crowds and a 34% increase in our national free-to-air audience across the first four rounds of the Isuzu UTE A-League Men, and we’ve just wrapped up an incredible weekend in Sydney that saw a 50% uplift in fans from our first-ever Unite Round in January.”

PFA chief executive Beau Busch said the report showed the competition had potential but a number of challenges had undermined that.

“The findings illustrate the underlying quality on the pitch and of the players, while also identifying several positive trends, such as transfer revenue and high-performance standards at clubs, that must be built on,” Busch said.

“To the credit of the clubs and the APL, this season is off to a positive start.

“However, the report pinpoints the structural, regulatory, and cultural matters that must be addressed to build a robust league.

“Four years post-separation, players have upheld their commitment on the pitch, yet their trust in the APL has eroded due to a governance model that is not fit for purpose and fails to establish a genuine partnership with the players.

“Without a unified strategy rooted in good governance and a meaningful player voice, the league will struggle to meet the expectations of the players and fans, leaving the game vulnerable to the repeated failures of the past.”

Originally published as An explosive report has revealed A-League’s men’s players dissatisfaction with governing body