The AFL Gamers’ Affiliation (AFLPA) has described the sanctions handed to GWS gamers as “disproportionate”, saying it has “severe issues” in regards to the league’s investigation of the membership’s post-season perform.
The AFL handed suspensions or fines to 13 present and former GWS gamers on Thursday, with the league saying their behaviour ultimately month’s perform — which featured costumes and skits — was “utterly unacceptable”.
Six have been suspended, with Josh Fahey given the lengthiest ban of 4 matches after dressing as former NRL participant Jarryd Hayne and simulating “inappropriate acts on a intercourse doll”.
Toby Greene was one in every of seven gamers fined $5,000, with the Giants captain amongst these punished by the AFL for exhibiting a scarcity of management and failing to cease the efficiency of the skits.
AFPLA chief govt Paul Marsh acknowledged the behaviour of the Giants gamers was “unacceptable”.
However Marsh criticised how the AFL performed its investigation.
“A core component of the AFLPA’s function is to guard the rights of our gamers, and this contains upholding the agreements inside the CBA and the assorted codes and insurance policies,” Marsh stated in an announcement.
“We’ve severe issues with the best way the AFL has performed their course of round this subject.
“They sought to interview gamers with out impartial assist, didn’t make related supplies obtainable to gamers as a part of the interview course of, and imposed unreasonable time frames on gamers to reply to their proposed sanctions.
“This course of lacked procedural equity, and procedural equity is essential to making sure integrity and confidence in AFL processes.
“With respect to the proposed sanctions, we believed these have been disproportionate, and once more made irrespective of any sanctioning framework.”
Toby Greene was handed a $5,000 fantastic by the AFL. (Getty Photos: Morgan Hancock)
Marsh stated the AFLPA offered a “detailed submission” to the AFL relating to the behaviour of the Giants gamers.
“We raised issues with the AFL’s dedication to cultural change inside the trade, the method undertaken by the AFL, the proportionality and consistency of their sanctioning, the dearth of a sanctioning framework, regardless of repeatedly elevating this with the AFL,” he stated.
Marsh stated there had been an “inconsistent method” to how participant leaders had been handled “as in comparison with the broader membership leaders”.
On Thursday, AFL chief govt Andrew Dillon stated the Giants gamers didn’t uphold the league’s values.
“There’s nothing humorous or intelligent about these actions and we aren’t as a code and competitors ready to just accept these behaviours,” Dillon stated.
“We’re additionally very disenchanted that not one of the leaders sanctioned sought to cease the behaviour.
“These actions don’t signify who we’re as a code or who the Giants are as a membership that has labored exhausting to construct respect throughout the western Sydney neighborhood.
“We’ve spent plenty of time, useful resource and vitality working with employees, gamers and golf equipment to construct environments of respect – respect for ladies, respect for folks of various cultures, respect for the broader neighborhood – however clearly, we nonetheless have work to do.”
