Port Adelaide star Erin Phillips says “it’s not ideal” the league’s begin date and pay deal is but to be locked in because the season nears.
But Phillips stated AFLW gamers try to not take into consideration the fixture or collective bargaining settlement nonetheless not being finalised.
Phillips and the Power kicked off their 2023 pre-season at Alberton on Monday.
They start with the league offering no extra readability across the season, apart from it should begin within the bye earlier than the AFL finals.
While a CBA – the primary time AFL and AFLW gamers have been included in the identical one if the agreements do come collectively – continues to be some time away.
“It is not ideal but it is not something that we are thinking about,” she stated.
“We know when roughly the season is going to start and that is all we are focusing on, we have a big pre-season. We have 12 weeks to get as good as we can.
“We are focusing on controlling the things that we can control.”
AFLW gamers will probably be paid on the earlier settlement fee till a brand new deal is secured, the place backpay is predicted to be included.
There stays a stark crevasse between the league and gamers on the phrases of the brand new deal, with gamers persevering with to push for a rise in season size to 12 house and away video games.
Last yr, AFLW gamers have been saved at midnight for a protracted time frame concerning a begin for the 2022 marketing campaign, the signal and commerce interval, pre-season and even when the AFLW draft could be held.
Phillips stated gamers may solely give attention to what was in entrance of them.
“Obviously we would love a schedule but we can only control what we can control,” she stated.
“So we just have to focus on our training and that will hopefully get done sooner rather than later and we can get a schedule.”
Part of the hole between the AFL and the AFLPA on the brand new CBA is the gamers affiliation’s push for AFLW gamers to be paid for 12 months of the yr as a substitute of 9, as quickly as 2024.
Phillips stated this may imply rather a lot to the enjoying cohort.
“That is the long term focus and the goal, I think right now our aim is to get a fixture for this year and then figure out maybe a plan going forward,” she stated.
“I know that is the goal to become full time athletes eventually, but the girls are focused on the now and trying to be the best players we can be.”
After successful simply the one recreation of their inaugural season in 2022, the Power will probably be on the lookout for enchancment in 2023.
Phillips, a three-time AFLW premiership participant with fierce rivals Adelaide, backed them to seek out it.
“Obviously no doubt fitness was a big one and that just comes with time and with repetition, I know in the off season the girls have been doing a lot of work in that space,” she stated.
“Experience is something you can’t teach and that is what this team is all about, growing and getting better and making improvements.
“This is day one.
“So far the attitude is there so we have to keep that up.”
Originally printed as AFLW 2023: All the newest news as golf equipment begin pre-season coaching
Source: www.dailytelegraph.com.au
