Amongst its many important features, the AFLPA / AFL Collective Bargaining Agreement states that players are entitled to a break from AFL Club activities of no less than one day per week, being any Monday to Friday (inclusive).

In the AFL experience, clubs determine that this day off is taken in a variety of ways, with many clubs incorporating a ‘floating’ day off which is subject to change from week to week. Some clubs even split this CBA entitlement into two half days, taken over separate not necessarily sequential days.

The day off is crucial for players as it allows them to take time to study, spend time with family or simply re-charge their batteries away from the often stressful and demanding world of professional sport.

Other professional sports, such as the NFL, also include the right to a day off in their agreements. However, the NFL, a multi-billion dollar professional sports league, who’s most valuable franchise the Dallas Cowboys was recently valued at US$1.5 billion by Forbes Magazine, has gone one step further on this issue.

The NFL has managed to negotiate something with its diverse, powerful and highly competitive range of stakeholders that the AFL has not. An industry day off.
In the NFL, every Tuesday is locked in as the industries day off.

‘NFL Tuesday’ allows players, coaches and franchises the opportunity to lock in Tuesday as the day to study, take on community work, or simply enjoy some down time.

Inform asked senior AFL player and AFLPA Executive Committee Member Luke Power and AFLPA General Manager Player Development Steve Alessio what they thought about the idea of an AFL industry day off.

SO HOW WOULD AN AFL INDUSTRY DAY OFF WORK?

Steve Alessio – AFLPA General Manager, Player Development

It is increasingly difficult for players and coaches to balance the commitments of AFL as a full-time professional sport with life out of the game. With this in mind we need to ask ourselves as an industry some questions.

Do we believe that AFL players should develop themselves off-field?

Do we believe AFL coaches should be entitled the same amount of time to pursue off-field endeavours?

If all coaches and players ‘shut-down’ for the same one day per week would this affect their ability to do their job?

Does the AFL industry have a responsibility to provide a workplace that helps its people develop and grow in their personal and professional lives?

Benefits of the ‘Day Off’

PLAYER BENEFITS:

• Certainty for planning work placements, study, community work and family commitments eg; Child care or spouse work arrangements.
• Ensures players are not encouraged to participate in “voluntary” extra sessions.
• Set day to run industry Career Development programs such as the Football Apprenticeship, 3 Pillars, and Ambassadors for Life.

COACH BENEFITS:

• Set day for personal development away from club.
• Quality family time, especially in-season, most assistant coaches are between 30 and 45 married with young children.
• Industry enforced time-off so coaches are not encouraged to schedule 1 on 1 player training or extra meetings
• Coaches and players have dedicated time apart each week

INDUSTRY BENEFITS (AFL & CLUBS):

• More certainty in scheduling events.
• Administration staff can operate without demands of players.
• No competitive advantages to any club as all abide by same rule.

EXAMPLE 1: Football Apprenticeship and 3 Pillars program

Club timetables are tight and it’s difficult to deliver required industry education to players. Scheduling seminars at night can lead to poor player involvement.

SOLUTION:

Players participating in these two programs could engage in morning educational sessions of 2 to 2.5 hours and then have the rest of the day off. By combining club participants in education sessions, programs are completed faster, resources used efficiently and better outcomes achieved.

EXAMPLE 2: Coach Development

Assistant coaches can work up to 7 days a week in-season with time off set according to season commitments. The stress on the person and family relationship is real.

SOLUTION:

A set day allows coaches to juggle family commitments with their family responsibilities. A balance is essential.

EXAMPLE 3: Apprenticeships

Players participating in Apprenticeships find it difficult to schedule time between their TAFE schooling and employer commitments.

SOLUTION:

A set day a week allows the player to organise his set work day with his employer and TAFE college. A player’s monthly educational and vocational work plan could be 3 days off ‘on the tools’ and 1 day completing his studies. The AFL SportsReady Trade Skills Sporting Program already provides support to these players. A common day off will further allow AFL SportsReady to provide a dedicated training solution to more players

EXAMPLE 4: Club and AFL requirements

Off-field commitments such as marketing, community work and media consume a lot of time over the year.

SOLUTION:

If stakeholders understand that a day is set aside, stakeholders can be better prepared and organised when scheduling events.