Tom Morris

So this is not about, hey, any time a player's in trouble, we just blindly back them in.

I think what this is about is we've got to have confidence in that process and the players have to have confidence in that process.

And I just think that...

has been challenged at times in recent times.

I think the tribunal has been used more than it should be.

I think sometimes a free kick and a 50 metre penalty are the right approach.

Transgressing against the rules of the game can be dealt with in the game sometimes.

I think occasionally in recent years, there has been a rush to use the MRI on tribunal and the players feel that.

You'd be aware that cynics from the AFL and also club land would sometimes believe that the Players Association in many ways is agitating for the sake of agitating.

How do you get through this and how do you make an impact so that the league listens to you and the players are heard on these concerns?

Yeah, well, I think it's unfortunately for Zach in this case, it's about using these examples and trying to shine a light on why that raises concerns.

And then for us, I mean, the main way of navigating change is through collective bargaining agreement, and we're about to...

probably get started on that again later this year.

Um, you know, and, and right now it feels like, you know, the, um, this whole process and system is a, is a priority as part of that conversation.

Now we'll see what we get to and we've got to work through that with all the players, but that, you know, that's the, that's the main lever, but, but I'd like to think the AFL has a, has a real understanding, um, that the players have got, that they're the most important stakeholder in a game.

Um,

They've got a vested interest in the game, its health and its growth.

And I think they know that we bring that to those conversations.

I'd like to think that.

I don't necessarily want to be here agitating for change this morning.