afl vs players pay dispute

[Tiger2709]

Reiwoldt bathing himself in glory during this period. "Putting their bodies on the line" for the fire charity game - and using that as an excuse for moderate pay reduction during COVID-19. What a gutter comment...

What if you have taken low pay for two years and your main.money was back ended so.now you suddenly lose most of your contract.

This is more difficult than you're giving it credit you',re also taking his comments out of context.

 

[Sttew]

Th 'short career window' argument is absolutely ridiculous and needs to be called out whenever it is made.

1. There is no 'career window' - there is no time limitation on AFL footballers careers. If you are good enough, you will still be selected at age 60 (obviously that won't happen, but I am just pointing out there is no legal reason why a professional sportsman's career is so short).

2. The same restriction arises for child actors, models, tradies involved with very physical work - there's probably a number of careers that run up against an age-related limitation.

3. If you are in a job, and are uncomfortable about the pay conditions, or think that the job may not be around forever, or you think might be let go because you can't keep up with the demands of the job - do what the rest of us do - go look for another job. No one is forcing these guys to play professional sport. It's their choice.

Needs to be called out whenever it’s made? Like it’s made up? What are you on? I never said there was a legal reason why professional footballers careers are comparatively short, but it’s an immutable fact in the AFL and has been in all the time I have followed football.

Let me ask you. If Dusty wasn’t the absolute football champion he is what would he have been doing?

 

[Wallaby]

The reason I said it needs to be 'called out' is that it's not an uncommon call by sportspeople and agents - in the 1980s, there a push (led by NRL agents) to provide tax relief for sportspeople due to their short careers. It was raised via the sports panel shows, and Wally Lewis pointed out the tax implications during a big game broadcast (Test match or SOO) after someone (maybe him) won a car. It was quickly squashed via some governemnt minister (can't remember who) with a simple throwaway line - something like 'No chance'. But it still gets a run now and then.

I don't blame sportspeople for trying to maximise their income during their short careers - but recognise it for what it is.

 

[Gold Rocks]

Jack and Danger made them selves the two biggest flogs in our game over the last few weeks. Probably deserves it's own thread who are the biggest afl player flogs??

 

[cardamon]

What if you have taken low pay for two years and your main.money was back ended so.now you suddenly lose most of your contract.

This is more difficult than you're giving it credit you',re also taking his comments out of context.

Who's getting low paid? cleaners? teachers? nurses? grocery store clerks? oh nah you're talking about an AFL player whose version of "low paid" is still a 6 figure income. F*ck them, they can line up for centrelink like the rest of us. Not enough to pay off their 6 investment mortgages? Again, and in bold this time, F*ck them, most people their age can't even afford a house

 

[Freshwater]

Liam Pickering, player manager and Craig Hutchinson’s mouthpiece on SEN Has just been quoted on the SEN website saying we (the public) and some in the media are overreacting to the players grubby whinge for close to full pay. He obviously lives in that same bubble as Danger and Rockcliff and some of the other ‘out of touch‘ players.

 

[amc11]

Liam Pickering, player manager and Craig Hutchinson’s mouthpiece on SEN Has just been quoted on the SEN website saying we (the public) and some in the media are overreacting to the players grubby whinge for close to full pay. He obviously lives in that same bubble as Danger and Rockcliff and some of the other ‘out of touch‘ players.

Since when is 50% reduction for the next two months and then 70% reduction after that if there is no change to the current circumstances close to full pay? The vast majority in the media are overreacting and deliberately using language geared to anger and amplify the stress people are feeling about the virus, the isolation and social distancing situation, and we then try to compare apples to oranges to get a realistic comparison!!!!

 

[HolyWars]

A 50% pay cut extending to the end of May and 70% thereafter is extremely generous. The AFLPA has just committed highway robbery imho.

 

[Maggie51]

interesting that chris scott is working for nothing, but brad scott is getting a payout for doing nothing

Chris Scott has been on HUGE money since 2001. Regardless of what happens, he is set up for life. While it was generous of him to forfeit his salary for the year, he can afford to go without his salary. Most of the players are still in the process of setting themselves up. Some will make it and some won't. And apart from that they are not being paid 50% for the year, it is only until the end of May when we will see what happens. The players are still training from home and are expected to be in top condition at the drop of a hat if and when the season starts again. Why shouldn't they be paid something if they are still working. No different to anyone else working from home expects to be paid.

 

[Maggie51]

I think we'll get rid of Foxtel tomorrow

Really we only have it for the footy - no worries paying for it all year either

Happy to get it back as soon as games are back on, but I have to say the players squabbling over not being paid as much when there are no games is encouraging me to stop paying Foxtel

If anyone knows Jack Riewoldt or Max Gawn can you ask them if they'd like to pay for my foxtel while there are no games?

If you sign up for a contract with Foxtel, why should Jack or Max pay for it. You have a contract and have to keep paying Foxtel. Foxtel will insist on it. Jack and Max have contracts too where Richmond and Melbourne have to keep paying them if they insisted on it. A 50% cut until May and possibly 70% cut after that is quite generous by the players when they could be insisting on the full amount. A contract is a legally binding document.

 

[The King!]

their performance by danger and riewoldt etc in the media didnt work, but they can fight to negotiate money, why shouldnt they

everyone expects them to stay fit ready to go surely? cant do that without them

 

[seanoff]

the MLB players expecting the season to be abandoned have sanctioned taking 4% of their contract money.

obviously they are starting from a high base. But still. Min salary is $563,500

 

[seanoff]

If you sign up for a contract with Foxtel, why should Jack or Max pay for it. You have a contract and have to keep paying Foxtel. Foxtel will insist on it. Jack and Max have contracts too where Richmond and Melbourne have to keep paying them if they insisted on it. A 50% cut until May and possibly 70% cut after that is quite generous by the players when they could be insisting on the full amount. A contract is a legally binding document.

all this strict legalese is fab. But if you want to take your money and kill your employer, well done. Its not a strategy for long term success.

also the aflpa have negotiated a % share of the income. If there is no income. There is no share. The afl could really play hardball with the players. They have been quite generous.

there are lots of contractors that have been laid off Aus wide. afl players would do well to remember they are been treated extremely well.

 

[MightyHawks]

If you sign up for a contract with Foxtel, why should Jack or Max pay for it. You have a contract and have to keep paying Foxtel. Foxtel will insist on it. Jack and Max have contracts too where Richmond and Melbourne have to keep paying them if they insisted on it. A 50% cut until May and possibly 70% cut after that is quite generous by the players when they could be insisting on the full amount. A contract is a legally binding document.

I am not in contract with Foxtel. But we have now suspended Foxtel. She said there's a $5 per month suspension fee. I said well just cancel it then. She said we can waive the $5 for the next 3 months.

Foxtel aren't paying the AFL at the moment, so I'm not paying Foxtel.

Jack and Max can insist the AFL and the clubs pay them if they want to - but if they were able to enforce that then Melbourne won't exist next year and none of the remaining clubs will pay Max more than a fraction of his current contract.

 

[MVille Swan]

What seems to have been forgotten is Foxtel is on the verge of collapse. Overpaying for sports rights is just part of their problem.
Most Australians don't watch any sport. At all. Ultimately the thing that will kill Foxtel will be the competition from new streaming services.
The AFL hierarchy know this, hence their trip to the US last year to meet with the major streaming services there.
But even the streaming industry is in a race to the bottom and none of the services actually make any profits. Ultimately there
will be a lot of belt tightening in AFL, and then what usually happens is they'll also start looking around for new income. I think
the first thing they'll start looking at is ticket prices which are very low compared to sports overseas.

 

[Pykie]

I'm hoping the players get completely railroaded in their next EBA now.

Jack and Danger can enjoy the charity the AFL seem to be extending to them at the moment.

To bad the result of this will now be a major reduction in list sizes by around 25%. 150 less AFL players in 18 months.

Won't effect the top end like those 2 though I guess..............

 

[Pykie]

Media are really going after the players and getting plenty of nuffies onside.
There are so many different layers to the pay dispute, the league is a different beast to how it operates compared to the general population and the work we do.

They can’t come back unfit whereas most of us can do nothing at home and go back to work fat. They are working but obviously it’s not as simple as that regarding revenue, if there’s no games how can they get paid?

It’s now 50% for the rest of the year even if they do come back which is completely reasonable. 70% cut if no more games are played.

I just can’t take the nuff comments of if you don’t play you don’t deserve to get paid anything.
Do these people think injured players deserve nothing?

And yet their pay periods are October-October.

They don't have scalable incomes.

They still receive the same amount of cash in November as they do in June, despite TV revenue being paid monthly. The AFL and clubs receive minimal revenue throughout summer and essentially cashflow the players throughout pre-season.

Yeah, they might take a 50% paycut for the next 2 months and 70% for the rest of the season.

They however have been incredibly front loaded in respect of the games and clubs revenues to this point of their annual salaries.

They shouldn't get another cent imo.


Injured players are protected under Australian workplace laws. They are irrelevant.

 

[Nugett]

When the players come back after their extra holidays.

 

[Chode1]

After the pay cut, Dangerfield, reiwoldt (I bet he wish he could have his time again) and co will still be earning more than our prime minister, for doing what???? Staying fit and putting messages out on Instagram etc! #%** me! Not saying they shouldn’t be paid but their pays should be cut so they are all surviving on a minimum, average wage at most!!! These selfish players have turned me off the game! I hope this crisis makes people seriously look at the ridiculous money put into sport at the expense of other things like health. Power premiers 2020!

 

[The King!]

whys everyone always shitty when people earn money in this country

 

[PetterdHoisted]

After the pay cut, Dangerfield, reiwoldt (I bet he wish he could have his time again) and co will still be earning more than our prime minister, for doing what???? Staying fit and putting messages out on Instagram etc! #%** me! Not saying they shouldn’t be paid but their pays should be cut so they are all surviving on a minimum, average wage at most!!! These selfish players have turned me off the game! I hope this crisis makes people seriously look at the ridiculous money put into sport at the expense of other things like health. Power premiers 2020!

The only thing I will say for these disgustingly greedy players, is that the AFL executive has been even more greedy-Caro said they are only talking a 20% cut, and their salaries are enormous.

 

[Aussie in exile]

What seems to have been forgotten is Foxtel is on the verge of collapse. Overpaying for sports rights is just part of their problem.
Most Australians don't watch any sport. At all. Ultimately the thing that will kill Foxtel will be the competition from new streaming services.
The AFL hierarchy know this, hence their trip to the US last year to meet with the major streaming services there.
But even the streaming industry is in a race to the bottom and none of the services actually make any profits. Ultimately there
will be a lot of belt tightening in AFL, and then what usually happens is they'll also start looking around for new income. I think
the first thing they'll start looking at is ticket prices which are very low compared to sports overseas.

The golden days of high TV contracts are coming to an end.
Reduction in money for all sports. No sport will exempt from the cuts.

 

[wagstaff]

Max Gawn on Footy Classified continued on the complacent PR efforts by players, arguing they deserve their pay because they still get drug tested and have to keep fit!

Also mentioned on FC that the AFLPA has 40-45 employees. Seems like AFL coaching groups aren't the only part of the industry that have an indulgent number of employees.

 

[WowWeee]

Just read that Bareclona (Soccer Club) players have taken a 70% pay cut + extra to cover staff wage..

 

[YippeeYiYeo]

Quite simply, the players should get payed for the 1 game theyve played this season. If they play further games later in the year, get paid for them too. If no further games are played, then they are just like ordinary Australians who have lost income this year. Backended, frontended, whatever doesnt matter. If youre unlucky enough to have a backended contract then stiff shit. People out there would have purchased shares, took out business loans, car loans etc and just have to lump it.

Just because we see the players on our TV's doesnt mean they are exempt from bad luck.