The AFLPA Members Whistleblower Service is a confidential service through which you can report concerns about issues you may have experienced or observed in the AFL industry.

The whistleblower service accepts reports relating to AFLPA members in the AFL industry. Examples of this kind could include reports about:

• Racism, sexism or any vilification
• Bullying or harassment
• Mental health issues
• Physical health issues, including in relation to the management of concussion
• Breaches of AFL rules and policies, including in relation to gambling or illicit drugs

Examples of matters that are not within the scope of the whistleblower service include:

• Matters that are reported by a member of the public in relation to a player’s conduct or behaviour
• Matters that do not have any connection to the AFL industry
• Disagreement about an AFL rule, restriction or fixture
• Disagreement about an umpiring or AFL Tribunal decision
• Matters relating to something that has happened to someone who is not an AFLPA member (unless the matter also impacts AFLPA members)

In these circumstances, the AFLPA and/or Stopline will try to refer you to the relevant organisation or individual who may be able to assist with your issue.

This service is for AFLPA members and their families. This includes current AFL and AFLW players, and all past players (regardless of whether they played a match or not).

You can call Stopline on 1300 30 45 50 (in Australia) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. A Stopline investigator will answer your call during business hours (0800 – 1800 Mon – Fri AEST). Any messages left with our overnight team will be responded to within one working day. You can also make a report via the online form on the Home page, email ([email protected]) or mail (AFL Players’ Association C/O Stopline, PO Box 403, Diamond Creek VIC 3089).

We know it can be difficult to talk openly about issues you may face. The whistleblower service has been set up to provide an avenue for AFLPA members to have these conversations in a protected, confidential environment.

If you use the whistleblower service, Stopline can act as an intermediary between you and the AFLPA. This means that your identity can be protected from the AFLPA if you choose, and Stopline can help facilitate your report to the AFLPA.

We still encourage members to contact AFLPA staff directly if they wish to, whether this be a member of our Executive team, Regional Manager or wellbeing team.

We do want to note that sometimes it may be difficult for the AFLPA to progress matters or take action if we don’t have sufficient information. For example, if you choose to remain anonymous through the whistleblower service, this may limit what we can do.

Yes. We encourage you to provide as much detail as possible so that we can best assist you to address the matter.

Stopline is an Australian company that specialises in providing whistleblowing and integrity services. We have engaged Stopline to assist with the management of the whistleblower service to ensure that the service is independent, confidential and of best practice. Further details are available at www.stopline.com.au

All players have the right to a safe workplace in relation to physical safety, psychological safety and cultural safety. In our view, the AFL industry has a human rights issue that needs to be addressed for the betterment of the industry and our members moving forward.

The AFLPA has established this whistleblower service to encourage members to speak up and report issues that they have experienced or witnessed in the AFL industry. We want to better understand our members’ experiences so that we can work towards positive change with the whole industry.

As we have seen from past events, the AFL industry is not yet equipped to deal with human rights issues. The AFLPA is seeking to enhance collaboration with the AFL and across the industry on the key issues impacting our members, including the protection of rights and access to remedy, to create an environment where everyone feels safe.

Your first point of call on wellbeing issues is the AFLPA Mental Health Navigator Service, which can be contacted directly on 1800 488 903 or [email protected]. This is a free, confidential and professional counselling service for all members including families, partners and significant others.

You can also raise wellbeing issues via the whistleblower service but we recommend reaching out to our Mental Health Navigator Service in the first instance.

As you may be aware, the AFLPA has proposed a Human Rights Policy and Framework to the AFL as part of the current CBA negotiations. The whistleblower service is an avenue for members to safely raise current or historical human rights issues in the AFL industry, with the concerns to be addressed through the Human Rights Policy and Framework if agreed to by the AFL in the new CBA.

Yes. You can make a report to Stopline anonymously if you wish and the staff of Stopline will not ask for any personal details. Stopline will issue you with a confidential reference and password should you wish to seek updates on your report.

 AFLPA take all reports seriously and, where appropriate, will investigate them. Please refer to the reporting process flowchart on the Resources page for further details on what happens when a report is made.

 If you make a report, the following legal protections are available:

• Confidentiality regarding your identity
• Protections from detriment arising from you making, or proposing to make, a report (eg, termination of employment, discrimination, harassment or intimidation)
• Protections from certain legal action being taken against you for making the report

Where a person who makes a disclosure is implicated in the misconduct, AFLPA will use its best endeavours to protect the individual from reprisals. However, the act of reporting improper conduct may not shield the person from the reasonable consequences flowing from any involvement in serious misconduct.

In Stopline’s experience, vexatious reports occur very infrequently. However, the strength of Stopline is that all allegations will be professionally managed by trained Stopline staff, and AFLPA may decline to investigate the matter if satisfied that the report is vexatious.

Yes. You will be kept advised about the status of the report, decisions made regarding how the matter is to be handled, time frames that apply and the result of any investigation and action taken, as that information is communicated with Stopline. If you choose to remain anonymous, you will be issued with a confidential reference and password and must initiate contact through one of the methods outlined on the home page to receive feedback.

Full details are available in the AFLPA Employee Manual.

AFLPA offers free, confidential and professional counselling as part of its wellbeing service. You can access this by contacting 1800 488 903 or [email protected].