Raise your game or we won’t play

PLAYERS from the three stranded Victorian A-League clubs have “lost confidence” in Football Federation Australia and will refuse to complete the season unless a series of demands are met by the game’s governing body.

Fed up after going to the airport for the past two nights only to be left on the tarmac unable to cross the border, Melbourne Victory, Melbourne City and Western United squads have taken a stand.

Via Professional Footballers Australia, the clubs on Wednesday wrote to FFA head of leagues Greg O’Rourke threatening to boycott the season, due to restart on Thursday week, unless their demands were met.

The demands are: PLAYERS be provided with fair and reasonable notice of any such departure — that the evidence being relied upon to depart Victoria (including, for example, a written exemption from the NSW government) is provided to the PFA in advance of any departure, together with specific details pertaining to the flight itineraries for each club;

A FULL briefing be provided by FFA to players outlining all relevant travel, accommodation, high performance and training plans, and any proposed personal restrictions while in the hub;

THAT clubs and FFA work in good faith with players seeking to bring their immediate family into any hub; and

FFA, clubs and the PFA ensure the provision and awareness of all available support services for players and their immediate families at all times during this period.

“On two separate occasions, players from the Victorianbased clubs were asked, at extremely short notice, to leave their homes and families on the understanding that they would travel to Canberra in order to enter into the ALeague hub,” the letter stated.

“The players complied with these directives in good faith, with the understanding of the important role they each play in ensuring the A-League season is completed.

“However, with each attempt to enter NSW having been unsuccessful, the players have expressed their loss of confidence in the administration to appropriately manage and navigate the current challenges.”