Australia needs a national, Independent Professional Players Association for Olympic and ASC-funded athletes.

Earlier this month, I shared my thoughts on LinkedIn about the need for a funded professional players association to address the lack of structural protection and representation for athletes in Australian Sports Commission (ASC), funded sports. The response was overwhelming.

What stood out most was the number of prominent voices who have competed at the elite level, particularly our Olympic and Paralympians, who echoed the same sentiment; we have a serious gap.

Equally powerful were the endorsements from professionals working in athlete welfare, human rights, and sport integrity, who confirmed what many already know, the current frameworks under the ASC and Sport Integrity Australia (SIA), while important, are not enough on their own.

Regrettably, what is clear from the response is that many who recognise this gap do so because they’ve seen the consequences firsthand. Either through their own experiences or by through providing services and support to others who have fallen through the cracks.

The Case for Change

Many of our top athletes funded by the ASC, the majority of which are Olympic and Para-Olympic sports train and compete at a professional level yet aren’t recognised or protected as such.

Unlike players in the AFL, NRL or cricket, who are employees, these athletes often sign short term agreements with their National Sporting Organisations (NSOs), leaving them without the legal rights or protections offered by the Fair Work Act.

This creates a unique and outdated imbalance: Athletes operate like employees but without the bargaining power or basic safeguards of one.

Independent reviews, including the Australian Human Rights Commission’s review into Gymnastics Australia and the Athlete Wellbeing Study, reveal consistent, troubling themes:

• Athletes fear speaking out due to retribution
• Complaint pathways lack trust and credibility
• Power imbalances between athletes and sporting bodies remain unchecked

These issues aren’t unique to gymnastics. Similar concerns have emerged from reviews into other ASC-funded sports, including Athletics Australia, Rowing Australia, Swimming Australia, Hockey Australia and Volleyball Australia, all highlighting governance failures, cultural issues, and the lack of trusted, independent athlete representation.

That’s why I believe it’s time for a funded, independent Professional Players Association, separate from SIA and focused solely on the rights and welfare of ASC supported athletes.

It would be a nationally endorsed body that automatically represents all ASC funded sports, particularly those that currently lack formal, professional athlete representation.

This body would:

• Provide independent representation and advocacy

• Support athletes in disputes, contracts, and wellbeing

• Help level the playing field between athletes and institutions

Professional players associations have proven their value time and again.

We’ve seen them fight for pay equity, secure maternity and mental health protections, and give athletes a real voice. NRL, basketball, AFL, and others have shown what’s possible when representation is resourced and respected.

With real athlete buy-in and professional leadership, this national body would compel sporting organisations to listen, negotiate, and improve conditions across the board.

This isn’t a critique of what exists it’s an acknowledgment that athletes deserve the same protection, voice, and respect as their professional peers in broadcast sports.

If the training, commitment, and performance expectations are the same, then the support, rights, and representation should be too, the fact that some sports have more money shouldn’t determine which athletes are better protected.

A Call for Change

The response to my LinkedIn post highlight that this isn’t an isolated concern. There is a consensus across athletes, administrators, and experts that we need an additional service to operate within the current model.

A call to action is needed, both from current and former athletes who have experienced the gaps, who carry the stories and who can substantiate through their own experiences just how much a professional players association is needed.

Again, this is not about replacing what exists, it’s in addition to, and purely for the purpose of addressing issues that should not be ignored.

About the Author

Kalindi Commerford is a practicing lawyer and former Hockeyroo who also served as the players representative on the Australian Hockey Players Association from 2018-2022.

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