Coronavirus: AFL players fire back in wage cut dispute

The AFL wants to cut wages by far more than the 50 per cent that was agreed to, players claim.

Patrick Dangerfield says criticisms levelled by former footballers and other pundits is inaccurate and inflammatory. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty

Geelong superstar Patrick Dangerfield has confirmed the AFL is seeking a far greater wage cut than the 50 per cent the league’s footballers have currently agreed to.

The dispute between players and the league is widening but there is a familiar tone between discussions in this crisis and former wage battles in the past.

Notably, the players are being criticised for holding their ground in discussions, with the league seeking to reduce salaries by up to 79 per cent.

Stars including Dangerfield and Richmond premiership forward Jack Riewoldt believe the criticism that has been levelled at them by former footballers and other pundits is inaccurate and inflammatory.

North Melbourne ruckman Todd Goldstein voiced his despair at the portrayal of players as Freddy this morning, saying they were attempting to grapple with a difficult situation as quickly as possible.

AFL legend Leigh Matthews issued a string condemnation when critical of the playing group for their stance at a time when 80 per cent of the league and club employees have been stood down, at best, with redundancies already occurring.

But Dangerfield, the AFL Players Association president, said there is a level of complexity to discussions that needs to be sorted through before an agreement can be reached.

“The criticism has been extreme in terms of what we as players cop on a daily basis, but I’d ask that we judge it on what the end agreement is,” he told SEN on Wednesday.

“Judge us on the end of the process once we’ve resolved it and it’s a fair position we’ve reached rather than this hysterical commentary we’re seeing at the moment.”

Dangerfield said the AFLPA wanted certainty as to what they were signing up for, though the volatile nature of the CoVid-19 crisis scarcely helps in this regard.

He said the AFLPA was seeking more information from the league as to the financial health of the competition.

“Perhaps we would be a week in front of the conversation if we had more information with where the game is at,” he said.

“We can’t do that unless we have got more information around where the game is at financially and I get it is a tough balance because the AFL and the Commission have a decision to reach and they like keeping these things in house, but we need transparency on it if we are to really grasp where the industry is at.

“We know it’s on its knees, but if we had more information in regards to that, then we can make a well-informed decision.”

The AFLPA has pledged to accept a 50 per cent wage cut through to the current suspension in play at the end of May.

Should further cuts be required if the shutdown continues, Dangerfield said the playing group would reconsider their position.

“Are we prepared to take longer term cuts? Absolutely. But we need a bit more information on where the season is going, the finances of the season so we can make the right decision for the players and for the game because without the game there is nothing,” Dangerfield said.

“We need that information and we haven’t got it yet. We get (the information) from the AFL and I understand they are in an incredibly difficult position at the moment, but we need greater certainty around what it looks like so we can make an informed decision.

“That’s not rape and pillage, it’s respectful of being able to continue the competition if and when it starts again.”