Leading AFL players are expected to personally front the AFL executive and put forward a case for change as part of negotiations over pay and conditions.
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The AFL Players Association is awaiting a response from the league over its key bid for a set percentage of revenue, the major issue in this year's collective bargaining agreement negotiations. Once this response is provided, discussions will step up.
The players are after change in several areas, such as development and workplace conditions - including those surrounding travel - and improving competitive balance.
For issues that would help provide the players' perspective, PA negotiators, led by chief executive Paul Marsh and general manager of player relations Brett Murphy, will likely bring in players to detail their views.
Several leading players - including Collingwood skipper Scott Pendlebury - have recently voiced their support for the fixed percentage model.
The PA is also pushing for a reduced free agency period. Currently, players must serve at least eight years at a club before becoming eligible for free agency, but the union would like this dropped to six years.
Further to this, the AFLPA wants players who become free agents to retain this status for the rest of their careers. An example would be Essendon captain Brendon Goddard, who became a free agent in 2012 following a decade's service at St Kilda. Should the union get its wish, Goddard would be able to move to the club of his choice at the expiry of his current deal with the Dons.
Another idea floated would be for a players who are traded prior to spending eight seasons at a club to become free agents after shorter qualification periods, rather than being forced to wait until completing eight years at their new club.
The players are hoping for a six-year deal to mirror the broadcast rights deal set to begin next year. As it stands, players' pay is predetermined over a five-year period, although there was a mid-term review of the latest CBA.
Once the AFL responds to the players' request for a set-percentage, and if the AFL is open to a set-percentage model, the two parties would then discuss what revenue streams would count. They then would negotiate the specific percentage. Players currently receive about 21 per cent of revenue. Under the proposal, they would be seeking about 25 per cent.
The current deal expires at the end of October.
