AFL COMMISSION SIGNS OFF ON LIST CONCESSIONS FOR NAB CHALLENGE & CONTINGENCY PLANS FOR PREMIERSHIP SEASON

The AFL’s General Counsel, Andrew Dillon today submitted recommendations to the AFL Commission on list concessions for the Essendon Football Club to ensure the Club can field a team during the NAB Challenge, and further contingency plans in the event of suspensions to any Essendon Players during the Premiership Season as a result of the current AFL Anti-Doping tribunal hearing.

The Commission today formally delegated power to the General Counsel to oversee temporary list concessions for the 2015 NAB Challenge, and to implement further changes in the event of suspensions arising from the Anti-Doping Tribunal hearing.

In respect to the NAB Challenge, the Essendon Football Club will be allowed to use Players from their VFL list and also use Players from other State League teams to enable them to field a team.

In the event of suspensions from the Tribunal and the impact on the Premiership Season, the Commission gave power to the General Counsel to determine ongoing list concessions, based on the principle that there should be no undue disadvantage to the other clubs arising from the changes.

In principle, the Commission agreed that:

- The EFC may sign temporary playing contracts with any player not currently on an AFL list but who have been on an AFL list in the last two seasons;
- With the exception of their own VFL listed players, EFC is restricted to signing a maximum of two players from any club.

Mr. Dillon does have the power to agree to exceptions to these guidelines, but only in the circumstance that it does not unfairly disadvantage any other club.

The AFL will continue to work with Essendon and the AFLPA to ensure appropriate terms and conditions for the temporary players including minimum payments and provisions for injury, insurance and medical.

The Commission also ruled that any payments to a temporary player will be included in Essendon’s Total Player Payments but they will be provided with a TPP allowance for those payments in a manner similar to the operation of the injury allowance.

Mr. Dillon said that the package of concessions and policy recommendations signed off by the Commission would allow the Essendon Football Club to field a team during the NAB Challenge, allows them to enact a contingency in the event that Players are suspended for the Premiership Season, and was a suitable outcome for the competition.

"This is a reasonable and sensible package of concessions that recognises the unprecedented situation facing our competition, does not unfairly disadvantage other clubs, and allows Essendon to field a team," Mr. Dillon said.