Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Football League, Andrew Demetriou, revealed on Thursday, 30 June that players had rejected a new pay deal offering them $1.1 Billion over 5 years. Demetriou, who took over the position as chief executive officer from Wayne Jackson, said the players have offered their own deal which they would take in salaries in advance or split as part-wages with a part-pension plan.
About 400 players attended a 90-minute meeting in Melbourne on Wednesday evening ahead of Thursday’s decision. Another 300 joined in via video links from around the country. The united players clearly emphasized that they were willing to secure a partnership agreement without strike action. However, they were adamant they would hold out for a percentage of between 25 and 27 % of total AFL revenue over the next 3 years.
Demetriou, who must now go back to the drawing board, is opposed to the player’s demands, although he admits they did in fact deserve a pay rise. He said on Wednesday that he believed players were entitled to their fair share of the new $1.253 billion TV rights deal, but their pay rise should not be tied to revenue. He added, that himself and the players would continue to negotiate until hopefully a mutual agreement would be reached.
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