PFA backs calls for change

Schwab said up until now, PFA has been a lone voice calling for significant changes to Australian football administration and that players are heartened by recent comments from A-League club owners, Clive Palmer among the more outspoken, calling for change.

“First of all in terms of what Clive Palmer said specifically about football, the players are very disappointed about those comments,” Schwab said.

“We look to Clive to provide stability to Gold Coast United at least for the term of his licence.

"But we do agree that with the bigger issues raised that the governance and structure of the game warrants immediate review.”

PFA, Football Federation Australia and club owners need to meet as soon as possible to discuss change and to begin laying the foundation for that change, Schwab declared, citing a number of the world's most successful football leagues. 

“In the best practice models of the best leagues in the world, the J-League, MLS, La Liga, the English Premier League, the professional league is run independent from the governing body,” Schwab said.

“At home Australia’s most successful sporting bodies the NRL and the AFL now both have independent commissions largely accountable to the clubs.

"The PFA have been calling for such reforms for a long time and we are now glad other interested bodies are saying the same.

"At the fan forums we ran last year the fans were saying the same thing. We need an independent commission, and an independent accountable league.”

With the current television broadcast deal expiring on 30 June 2013, football is in a position to ring in any changes to its corporate structure immediately and benefit from those changes immediately, according to PFA.

“The positive is that we are in a position to immediately implement any changes,” Schwab said.

“The broadcast rights are up in 2013 and that is a great opportunity to bring about change.”

Schwab will meet with aggrieved Gold Coast players on Thursday.

“The players are disappointed in the performance of Gold Coast United,” Schwab said. “They feel the club is capable of a lot more.

"The players have paid a price for the mistakes made by those running the game, what happened with the North Queensland Fury, the failure to get a team up and running in western Sydney and they are worried now.”

“The concerns raised by the owners and the concerns raised by the players are similar.

"Whenever the players talk about what they want and what is good for the game they always want what is good for the game.

"We want what is best for the game in this country. The players’ deep, emotional concern is always what is best for the game.”