Professional Footballers Australia (the PFA) has been provided with stand-down notices issued to its members at Perth Glory by owner Tony Sage.
In response, the PFA has served Sage with a letter of demand seeking the players’ immediate reinstatement.
In the event the players are not reinstated, the PFA will initiate legal proceedings against Tony Sage seeking their reinstatement and the imposition of significant fines in excess of $600,000, pursuant to the Fair Work Act.
“The players acknowledge that everybody in Australia is facing a collective challenge as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,” PFA Chief Executive John Didulica said.
“In times like this, our community needs leadership and, from the perspective of football, a commitment to collaboratively rebuilding our sport.
“The PFA continues to call for a collective solution to address our game’s challenges, as has been the approach adopted by the AFL and sporting bodies around the world. However, Tony has shown his preference for unilateral, reckless and unlawful action.
“A fortnight ago, it was fine to relocate players to the east coast away from their families and expose them to a global pandemic. Now, when the opportunity arises, it is considered acceptable to stop paying them. These are not the traits of a sport that values its people.
“We are positioned to take the same course of action if any other A-League club owner elects to take this course of action in contravention of both the law and the sports broader needs at this time.”
