WORKING WITH THE AFL PLAYERS' ASSOCIATION

WORKINGWITHTHEAFL PLAYERS'ASSOCIATION

Alex Taverner

Alex Taverner is a Legal Counsel at the AFL Players’ Association. The AFLPA are the representative body for AFL and AFLW players, as well as Alumni members.

Professional Journey and Path to the AFLPA

I graduated from Deakin at the end of 2018 with a Bachelor of Commerce and a Bachelor of Laws and took up a graduate position at Australia’s corporate regulator, where I ultimately settled in their corporate governance team.

I was there for more than two years and while the legal and professional skills I developed were invaluable, I had always possessed a burning desire to work in sport. Over the lockdown period I began some postgraduate study in sports law and started exploring what roles were out there. When I saw that the AFLPA were looking for a Legal Counsel, I applied instantly – it was an opportunity to merge my passion for sport (and, in particular, AFL) with my legal skillset.

An Overview of the AFLPA

The primary role of the organisation, and specifically the Legal team, is to negotiate the Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) on behalf of both playing groups. These documents, which are negotiated between the AFLPA and the AFL, stipulate key terms like player salaries, working conditions and entitlements, and a revenue sharing model that ensures that the players can share in the growth of the game. It's also our role to ensure that the obligations for the industry in those documents continue to be met. The AFLPA has five departments. Outside of the Legal team, they include: Member Programs & Camp; Services, Communications, Commercial and Strategic Innovation; Business Operations; and Player and Stakeholder Relations. Collectively, all teams work together to ensure that we are providing the best possible experience for our members.

A Day in the Life of the AFLPA Legal Team

The Legal department incorporates three lawyers, a data analyst and an overseer of the Accredited Player Agents. Given we’re a small team of lawyers, I’m fortunate to be able to work on a whole range of matters and issues. Aside from negotiating and overseeing the CBAs and advocating on issues that impact our collective playing groups, we also provide support on a wide variety of individual player issues. Examples include issues relating to player image use, anti-doping matters, contractual disputes, disciplinary matters, and player health and safety issues.

From an individual member support level, and during the cut and thrust of the AFL and AFLW seasons, there’s often a sense of urgency in needing to resolve (or at least advance toward resolution) issues ahead of the upcoming weekend’s round of matches.

I get a deep sense of satisfaction in being able to support individual members through issues, both in terms of their on-field career but also in their lives away from football.

I’m also proud to be able contribute to the collective advocacy we provide on behalf of our members. It’s rewarding to see our work result in tangible outcomes for an entire playing group. For example, we recently completed the negotiation of the AFLW CBA for season 7, and among other key outcomes for our AFLW playing cohort was a 94% increase in average player salaries - a result we hope many players will find life changing.

The Best Advice Alex Received as a Young Lawyer

‘The most valuable thing that people can give you is their time – so make the most of it when it’s given to you. ’

When I was trying to break into the sports law industry, I found people to be incredibly generous with their time - willing to chat about their own journeys into sport and provide invaluable advice. While I knew that, as a young professional, I could not offer the same level of value the other way, simple things like offering to buy a coffee (because who says no to free coffee?!) would often go a long way to helping start these conversations.

‘Don’t underestimate the power of your network. ’

Take the time to maintain the relationships you have created and embrace opportunities to create new ones. For me, signing up as a mentee to the Australia New Zealand Sports Law Association (ANZSLA) Mentoring Programme was hugely beneficial for my professional development. My mentor has been amazing and was pivotal in guiding me through the application process for the role at the AFLPA.