AFL and players union to resume pay talks

The AFL and the AFL Players Association will continue pay negotiations this week in the hopes of averting a pre-season strike.

Talks between the two parties last year had stalled, with the AFL resisting demands for a revenue-sharing model in the new collective bargaining agreement.

The players’ union is aiming for a set percentage of roughly 25% of the game’s overall revenues.

A player strike affecting next month’s pre-season competition is still possible if a deal can’t be reached.

However, AFL Players Association Chief Executive Paul Marsh stated "it’s not really appropriate to be talking about the pre-season competition at this stage.

“We want to get things moving. Let’s get these talks going and hopefully we can get to a resolution as soon as possible.”

Marsh confirmed AFL Chief Executive Gillon McLachlan would not be part of the pay talks this week but said that was not unusual at this point in the negotiations.

AFLPA President and former Fremantle Dockers star Matthew Pavlich last month said the league had not taken a constructive approach to the discussions, stating "when we can’t get to the negotiating table and we can’t talk, it sort of leaves us scratching our heads a little bit."

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