The PFA Executive will meet in Melbourne next Wednesday 8 June 2011 to consider key issues confronting Australian football, including the upcoming Smith Review of Australian football and the continued reviews of the A-League competition and Collective Bargaining Agreement.
The PFA Executive is the democratically elected committee of management of the PFA. It consists of 10 current players including President and Melbourne Heart captain Simon Colosimo as well as Chairman John Poulakakis and Chief Executive Brendan Schwab.
The extensive Agenda for the meeting shows the comprehensive nature of the PFA’s work, with discussions to include:
• the development of the PFA’s submission to the Smith Review of the governance and structure of Australian football;
• the annual renewal of the PFA’s 5 year strategic plan (2008 – 2013);
• outstanding issues from the A-League Collective Bargaining Agreement review negotiations to apply for the remaining 2 seasons of the 5 year CBA to 2012/13. These include greater measures to protect player contract security;
• the many cases being advocated for Australian players both at home and abroad. In recent months, the PFA has assisted players in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Greece, England, Scotland, Romania, Czech Republic, Germany and Holland, among others;
• the activities of the Australian Athletes’ Alliance – the peak body for Australia’s players’ associations – and the current moves to reform Australian law as it pertains to gambling and sport;
• allocations from the PFA’s Education and Special Assistance Fund, which are planned to exceed $125,000;
• the expansion of the PFA’s community programs into New South Wales as a stepping stone to a national roll out;
• the PFA’s role within FIFPro, including the situation with FIFA, the reform of Indonesian football and the development of a continental compact between FIFPro Asia and the Asian Football Confederation; and
• the governance, management and financial position of the PFA. To this end, the PFA Governance Committee will be meeting the day before the Executive.
PFA Chief Executive Brendan Schwab said that sitting on the PFA Executive is one of the more important leadership responsibilities accepted by any Australian professional footballer.
“The PFA Executive is the key vehicle through which we ensure the PFA is achieving our dual mission of supporting the players and building the game,” Schwab said. “The players who volunteer for election to the Executive are deeply committed to both of these goals. Service on the Executive also helps develop the business and organisational skills of its members, leaving them in a strong position to contribute to the game after their playing days are over,” Schwab added.
Many players that have served their fellow professionals and the game through the PFA Executive have gone on to play a major role in the development of Australian football, both on and off the field. The 47 players who have sat on the PFA Executive since the PFA’s inception in 1993 are (with international honours):
John Aloisi (AUS), Ross Aloisi (AUS), Francis Awaritefe (AUS), Greg Brown (AUS)(President, 1993-1995), Che Bunce (NZL), Tim Cahill (AUS), David Clarkson, Simon Colosimo (AUS)(President since 2005), Vaughan Coveny (NZL), Ante Covic (AUS), Chris Coyne (AUS), Oscar Crino (AUS), Travis Dodd (AUS), Sean Douglas (NZL), Alistair Edwards (AUS), Robert Enes (AUS), Frank Farina OAM (AUS), Craig Foster (AUS), Paul Foster, Vincenzo Grella (AUS), Peter Gunning, Andrew Harper, Jeromy Harris, Danny Hay (NZL), Alan Hunter (AUS), Harry Kewell (AUS), John Kosmina (AUS), Stan Lazaridis (AUS), Brad Maloney (AUS), Andy McDermott, Jon McKain (AUS), Ante Milicic (AUS), Kevin Muscat (AUS), Joe Palatsides (AUS), Liam Reddy, Chris Slater, Noel Spencer, Warren Spink (AUS), Shane Stefanutto (AUS), KimonTaliadoros (AUS)(President 1995 – 1998), David Tarka (AUS), Alex Tobin (AUS)(President 1998 – 2005), Michael Valkanis (AUS), Alex Wilkinson, Lindsay Wilson (AUS), Stuart Young, David Zdrilic (AUS)
