A former AFLPA president says Geelong must face an independent tribunal over its secret concussion contract, also accusing the player union of being ‘too close’ to the AFL.
Former AFL Players Association president Joel Bowden says Geelong needs to front an independent tribunal about its secret concussion contract as he called the player union out for being “too close” with the AFL.
Bowden, who served as the AFLPA president from 2007-09, declared it was “absolutely outrageous that a young person is being taken advantage of” by the letter signed by a Cats player, which exonerated the club from legal liability resulting of ongoing concussion symptoms.
Bowden said the agreement was “gambling with a young person’s health” and it needed to be picked over by an independent tribunal or even taken to Canberra to be looked at by senate estimates in federal parliament.
“All the facts need to be put on the table and they need to explain themselves,” he said on 774 ABC Melbourne.
The AFL and AFLPA issued a joint statement on Thursday night following the revelations from this masthead, stating both bodies need to be notified going forward about any similar agreements that impact the legal rights of players and a similar contract would not be approved going forward.
No penalties have been handed to Geelong.
The Cats put out their own statement, which said the club “recognises the absence of the AFLPA in the process” and the waiver in the letter would be removed.
Bowden said he couldn’t believe the AFLPA joined the AFL with a joint statement and the union “need to be much stronger than that”.
“I’m saying the players association needs to act more like the union that they are,” he said.
“The power the players association have is 100 per cent membership. They can’t be in bed with the employer. They have to actually stand up for the rights of the players, the rights of their members.
“They are too close. If they are putting out joint statements they were too close. For this to be resolved in 24 hours means there hasn’t been due diligence for all the facts.”
Bowden said the AFLPA needed to act like “industrial warriors when stuff like this happens”.
“Look after your members, look after the players because they are vulnerable,” he said.
Health Minister Ingrid Stitt said she was alarmed by the revelations, adding that player safety should never be compromised.
“These are matters that the AFL is going to have to deal with,” she said.
“It’s incredibly concerning because the more medical research and evidence that comes out about the impacts of concussion on not just elite sports people but people participating in sport all over the state has serious medical consequences if not treated appropriately.
“So what I would say is that player safety should never be compromised, and that our peak sporting bodies have an obligation, as do the clubs, to make sure that player welfare is an absolute priority and never compromised.”
original article
