GEELONG superstar Patrick Dangerfield has called on the AFL to show the players more respect after League CEO Gillon McLachlan chose not to attend their annual two-day conference.
AFL Players Association delegates gathered on Thursday and Friday in Torquay in western Victoria amid increasingly tense pay negotiations and the possibility of a pre-season strike.
McLachlan declined an invitation to attend, with executives Ray Gunston and Andrew Dillon sent instead to present to the AFLPA board.
Dangerfield, a member of the AFLPA board, said players were disappointed with McLachlan's no-show and the League's approach to the long-running negotiations.
"It's been difficult to negotiate (and) the AFL have been really difficult in coming to the table … they haven't spoken to the PA in the past month," Dangerfield said.
"So to get this opportunity today was wonderful, albeit without the CEO in attendance.
"There were some disappointed players who flew across the country to be here yesterday and today, and we were perhaps looking for a little bit more respect than what we got.
"We've spoken about numerous scenarios … and obviously industrial action is at the very end of that scale."
Gunston, who is the AFL's chief financial officer, denied the League was being difficult in its approach to the collective bargaining discussions.
He said the AFL was working towards a fair deal for the players, but they needed to understand that would be done "in the broader interests of the whole of the AFL industry".
"I'm the guy who's leading the negotiations for the [collective bargaining agreement] and I put my hand up when the invitation come in to come down and speak," Gunston said.
"I've been dealing with the negotiating team, so it was a great opportunity for me to talk to the player delegates, so that all worked out really well."
Players are pushing for a percentage share of total revenue, excluding items such as government grants and gambling, after the AFL reached a $2.5 billion broadcast rights deal over the next six years.
AFLPA CEO Paul Marsh has claimed the players have no incentive to drive more revenue for the competition unless their preferred revenue sharing model is in place.
He said the ball was in the AFL's court after the AFLPA put its proposal to the League.
"It's now up to the AFL to come back to us and put whatever proposal they want, but let’s sit down and actually work through it,” Marsh said.
"They owe it and we owe it to the game, the fans, the players and the clubs to try and get this thing done.
"It can be done quickly if we all cooperate, get in a room and thrash it out."
AFLPA president Matthew Pavlich said a strike was "the absolute last resort.
"We’re here to negotiate in good faith and we’re looking forward to going down that path," he said.
