What happens if players strike?

Dave The Man · Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2016 7:03 pm

Will there be no Games or would teams do what Essendon pretty much did when there Players where we get Replacement Players?

stui magpie · Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2016 8:16 pm

Depends.

Under the Fair Work Act, they are in a bargaining period once the current agreement passes it's notional expiry date. They can't take action before that.

If they decide to take action, they need to give notice under the act to Fair Work, they don't need to go into specifics.

If they want to take lawful industrial action by withdrawing their labor (aka, not playing in pre season games) there's a notice requirement there as well IIRC, which means the AFL has time to come up with alternatives. Some, but not much. 24 hours comes to mind.

They'll be under pressure because of television coverage to provide something so they may just allow clubs to play their VFL teams or something else, I can't predict what they may do.

Whatever happens, it will play out.

I don't have a problem with the AFL club salary cap being pinned to a % of the media rights, but I think they're asking for too much. This isn't the USA, clubs aren't privately owned and the AFL is a not for profit organisation which puts money back into grass roots football (or should)

It will be interesting to see how it plays out.

Dave The Man · Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2016 9:16 pm

What happens to the Game's /Season IF they go as far as Strike?

stoliboy · Joined: 15 Aug 2003 Location: Sydney, NSW

Next there will be a stop work meeting everytime the umpire blows his whistle...

If there is a strike or industrial action there could be a few options:

Games could be postponed or cancelled. That's what happened in the NHL and MLB - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NHL_lockout -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1994%E2%80%9395_Major_League_Baseball_strike

AFL could go down the "replacement players" route... other sports codes have done that - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Replacement_player

Dangerfield article is talking about striking during the pre-season games. I doubt there would be replacement players for those games.

There could also be other types of industrial action... not doing media interviews, etc

AFL players have threatened striking before.

stui magpie · Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2016 9:43 pm

watt price tully · Joined: 15 May 2007

burnsy17 · Joined: 10 Aug 2003

They wont strike.

They earn on average $320K per year each.... sit out the year and that disappears....

$320K is better than zero.

There will be a resolution, it's all just posturing. Its what happens in a cock size comparison competition!

The Weed · Joined: 07 Mar 2005

[quote="burnsy17"]They wont strike.

They earn on average $320K per year each.... sit out the year and that disappears....

$320K is better than zero.

Using that logic means no one would have ever gone on strike over pay issues.

uuuuu..... The LoneSTAR · Joined: 01 Nov 2004 Location: Under negotiation

^ And there would be a heap of blokes walking the streets with eye patches Razz

3rd degree · Joined: 22 Jun 2004 Location: John Wren's tote

All of our team would get injured marching up the street during the strike knowing our luck. Where's the Ghost of Norm Gallagher? he could lead us!

ronrat · Joined: 22 May 2006 Location: Thailand

I don't understand all the concern. ALL players will strike. No games. The clubs get less money and Foxtel gets the hump. The afl are not going to find 450 fill in players at that time of the year. Won't happen.

Dave The Man · Posted: Thu Dec 08, 2016 3:14 pm

ronrat · Joined: 22 May 2006 Location: Thailand

sixpoints · Joined: 27 Sep 2010 Location: Lulie Street

Any oldies out there (like me), who may remember that all senior umpires went on strike and all resigned en masse and the league got junior umps out of the old Under 19 comp to run senior VFL matches. It was Round 19 1981. We played North at Vic Park.
So we have had a full on strike before, but it wasn't the players !

stui magpie · Posted: Thu Dec 08, 2016 7:01 pm