Please see below statement from AFL Players’ Association CEO, Paul Marsh:

The AFL Players’ Association is disappointed by the AFL’s directive, which will prevent the Sydney Swans from recruiting new players through a trade or free agency over the next two years.

In our view, the directive has an adverse impact on players, both at Sydney and elsewhere. It will prevent players from going to Sydney through a trade or free agency, and will also make it more difficult for players at Sydney to leave the club through a trade.

We believe this directive is a reaction to concerns around COLA, and rather than addressing the core issue, an introduction of this new restriction is simply unfair to the club and players.

The central tenet of free agency is that it enables eligible players to go to a club of their choice, however from next year, those players will not be able to go to Sydney in the next two years. This is fundamentally wrong and unfair on those players who have earned the right to choose where they play.

The Players’ Association will continue to discuss this matter with the AFL and other stakeholders in the coming days.

In case you missed Paul Marsh discussing this issue on SEN’s Morning Glory, you can hear it below.

https://soundcloud.com/aflplayers/paul-marsh-on-sens-morning-glory-10102014