COVID-19 has cast a shadow over our industry, and like many others, the game now faces new challenges as we recover and rebuild.

In the first half, prior to the disruption, the PFA achieved a range of significant outcomes for its members and the business:

• Signed off on a National Team CBA that contains a world-leading model for the employment of National Team players through a model of revenue share, gender equality in all areas and reinvestment in youth football in cooperation with the players. In essence, players investing in each other to help grow the game;
• Through the player development program, 230 players undertook skill development workshops. 127 Education grants were provided and 420 skin cancer checks completed;
• Organised and delivered ‘Oz Football Aid’, a charity match featuring some of Australia’s most prominent footballers – and football lovers – to support Australia’s nation’s bushfire recovery efforts. Through the PFA’s charitable arm, Footballers’ Trust, the match helped to raise over $50,000 for player-nominated charities;
• PFA advocacy continues to be world-leading with 164 new legal cases opened and $2.45m in professional wages recovered;
• Released an extensive research report that reviewed Australia’s national youth competition, the Y-League, through a combination of historical analysis and surveying of current players. The Y-League Pathway & Workplace Conditions Report examined the past five seasons of Australia’s youth development league, uncovering the pathway and experiences of over 700 footballers who have appeared in the competition since its restructuring in 2015.

In the Second half, COVID-19 substantially impacted the PFA. Its presence was first felt, when the Matildas' Tokyo 2020 Olympic Qualification matches were moved from Wuhan, China to Sydney. Since then, the challenges faced by the members and the business have been substantial:

• Negotiating an A-League extension, with the PFA, FFA and Clubs agreeing to a three-month contract extension for all players coming off contract and players receiving 17% of their monthly salary plus JobKeeper if eligible; and
• Contributing just under $1m in PFA finances to the A-League extension, through a combination of PFA and Player Development Funding under the A-League CBA and a further $470,000 in Special Assistance Funding provided to players to assist during times of extreme hardship. As a result, PFA financials at years end, in comparison to budgeted, provided for a deficit of $24,149, instead of the anticipated surplus of $586,703 - with a cash reserve balance of $1.79 million.

Amidst the pandemic, the PFA said goodbye to Chief Executive John Didulica who made a significant and profound impact on the PFA and more broadly on the sport during his tenure.

The impact of COVID-19 unprecedented, placing demand on the members and the union to make decisions within an uncharted environment. However, over this period, the solidarity, leadership and courage of the playing group cannot be understated. COVID-19 has exposed the fragility of the Australian professional game and the need for all stakeholders to work together to rebuild trust and chart a course forward, ensuring that the game recovers. The next 12 months will be challenging for the members and the union, with focus turning towards the key areas that need to be driven; including:

• A long-term collective bargaining agreement for the A-League and W-League players that rebuilds and repositions the professional game within the new world of club owners controlling the league;
• Ensuring that the League model under the owners continues to work in the best interest of the game as a whole, with areas such as the salary cap and transfer system requiring reform;
• Rebuilding the finances of the PFA to deliver a surplus over the next financial year, recover the financial reserves depleted during the A-League CBA Extension and build a sustainable and diversified revenue base for the future; and
• Delivering the 2020-2023 PFA Strategic Framework.

In closing, we would like to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of the PFA staff, Executive and Delegates who have proven that their desire to support the members, and their union, is unwavering even in the face of great challenges.