Holidays threaten pre-season plans

Geelong football manager Neil Balme says the club will have to juggle pre-season plans around players' holiday breaks. Picture: Michael Dodge Source: Herald Sun

THE AFL Players Association has urged clubs to take a commonsense approach to allocating annual leave under the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Eight clubs will start the 2013 pre-season having to juggle the needs of players who participated in reserves finals that stretched their 2012 season well into September - weeks after their senior sides had finished their commitments.

Geelong will start its pre-season training program a week later than scheduled because of its VFL success.

Players get a minimum eight weeks annual leave. Those who have played for eight years or more get 10 weeks and five- to seven-year players get nine.

Those who participated in reserve grade finals are guaranteed five weeks of uninterrupted leave, but any time owing to them must be made up during the summer.

Geelong won the VFL grand final 15 days after the AFL side had its season ended by Fremantle. Cats football manager Neil Balme said the juggling act was made slightly easier by the fact most in that side were one- to four-year players.

"We juggle it around so that everyone comes back virtually the same day," Balme said.

"If blokes need an extra four or five days off because of their CBA requirements, then we'll organise that with them so they're given all the time that is needed."

AFLPA player relations general manager Ian Prendergast said the association was happy for clubs to employ a commonsense approach as long as players were given the days owed at some point.

"Where players have been required to participate in reserves finals after the senior side has completed the season, the CBA states that they are to receive a minimum five-week leave period," he said.

"We believe this is a practical approach to the issue of staggered season end dates, which is supported by the players."

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