Four captains will form the backbone of a new "Players and the Game" group intent on being proactive and increasing footballers' impact on the direction of the code.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
A strong theme in feedback from a recent competition-wide survey was that players, as a collective, have not had enough influence, or had enough say, regarding key matters affecting the game.
Players want more of a voice on big-picture issues, such as how the game is played, its laws and the structure of the 18-club competition, as well as on questions such as the appropriate number of byes and rotations and the substitution rule.
The timely move to help set the agenda by forming a focused and esteemed group comes before the negotiations of a fresh collective bargaining agreement and broadcast rights deal.
Club skippers Gary Ablett, Scott Pendlebury, Tom Rockliff and Nathan Jones, and former Carlton captain Chris Judd, are among the 18 foundation members of the "Players and the Game" group that is an initiative of the AFL Players' Association now under the new leadership of Paul Marsh and Matthew Pavlich.
The formation of the players' group follows the AFL's unveiling last year of a "charter' for football that was designed, in part, to provide a guide to the AFL Laws of the Game committee.
The AFLPA's "Players and the Game" group clearly wants to establish its own position on an ideal AFL game and competition structure, commissioning research where it sees fit.
While the AFLPA has a board and a 36-strong group of club delegates, there is minimal member crossover between those groups and the new "Players and the Game" group.
Brisbane captain Rockliff and West Coast's Scott Selwood are the only club delegates who are now members of the "Players and the Game" group, while Western Bulldog Will Minson – recently voted AFLPA vice-president – and North Melbourne's Drew Petrie are also AFLPA board members.
The AFL has a Laws of the Game committee that was revamped in March last year. There are no current players on that 12-man group, though recently retired Luke Ball – who just handed over the AFLPA presidency to Pavlich – and Lenny Hayes are among the new members.
PLAYER POWERBROKERS
Adelaide Rory Sloane
Brisbane Tom Rockliff
Carlton Chris Judd
Collingwood Scott Pendlebury
Essendon Brendan Goddard
Fremantle Nathan Fyfe
Geelong Steve Johnson
Gold Coast Gary Ablett
GWS Heath Shaw
Hawthorn Sam Mitchell
Melbourne Nathan Jones
North Melbourne Drew Petrie
Port Adelaide Kane Cornes
Richmond Jack Riewoldt
St Kilda Jarryn Geary
Sydney Luke Parker
Western Bulldogs Will Minson
West Coast Scott Selwood
