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.

All players have the right to a safe workplace in relation to physical safety, psychological safety and cultural safety. 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.

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.

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

We know it can be difficult to talk openly about issues you may face. While we encourage you to raise issues with your Club and/or the AFLPA if you feel comfortable to do so, the whistleblower service has been set up to provide an avenue for AFLPA members to have these conversations in a protected, confidential environment if they do not feel comfortable speaking with their Club or the AFLPA directly.

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.

You can make 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
• Physical health issues, including in relation to the management of concussion
• Mental health issues
• Breaches of AFL rules and policies, including in relation to gambling or illicit drugs

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

• Reports 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.

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).

Yes. Please note that, in some circumstances, it may be difficult for us to respond to and investigate an anonymous report. If this is the case, we will work with you (and Stopline if applicable) to try and address the matter that has been raised. Your identity will never be disclosed by Stopline to anyone without your prior consent.

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

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.

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

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

No. We can keep your identity confidential if you wish. However, there may be circumstances where your identity may be inadvertently disclosed if we pursue the matter – for example, if your report is about something that happened between you and another AFLPA member and there was no one else involved. We will work with you (and Stopline if applicable) to determine the best way forward. Your identity will never be disclosed without your prior consent.

No, although you may find it helpful speaking to someone at Stopline directly over the phone.

Stopline will provide the details of your report to the AFLPA (only disclosing your identity if you have consented). What actions the AFLPA then takes to progress your report will depend on what the report is about. For example, where appropriate, the AFLPA may make further enquiries into the matter or refer the matter to the AFL or other relevant body following discussions with you. Our focus will be on ensuring that the human rights and wellbeing of members are protected and respected.

We will also aim to keep you regularly informed of the progress of your report and the expected timeframes.

The details of your report will be shared with the AFLPA Legal team, who is the main contact point between Stopline and the AFLPA. The AFLPA Legal team may then need to share your information with other people at the AFLPA in order to best assist you. You can also nominate a particular person at the AFLPA to manage your report if you wish. All of your information will be kept in the strictest confidence, including within the AFLPA if you instruct us to do so.

A report made by a member of the public is not within the scope of the service. We will obtain details of the report and, depending on the circumstances, we may contact the member involved to best manage the situation. However, given the AFLPA’s role is to represent its members, we will not directly support the member of the public in taking the matter further.

This will depend on what the report is about but you can expect that the AFLPA will inform you of the complaint made against you and provide you with as much information as possible about the allegations and supporting information. We will also provide you with information about the next steps, potential outcomes and options for assistance/support.

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

Stopline stores your information on a Microsoft platform with end-to-end encryption. This platform will only be accessible by Stopline staff and the AFLPA Legal team (your identity will only be disclosed if you have consented). Stopline’s data security complies with Australian privacy laws and the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation.

Your personal information at the AFLPA will be stored in accordance with the AFLPA Privacy Policy.

The 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].