AFL players' body slams Lovett sacking

The AFL Players' Association (AFLPA) has "serious concerns" about the Andrew Lovett
sacking and plans to consult with his lawyers over the issue.

The AFLPA said the St Kilda decision on Tuesday also had the potential to damage
players' faith in the AFL industry's disciplinary and dispute procedures.
They feel the grievance procedure that was underway between Lovett and the club
should have continued.
"The AFL and AFLPA have agreed to a grievance resolution procedure which seeks to
resolve disputes between players and clubs in good faith," said AFLPA chief
executive Matt Finnis.
"We expect that clubs and players will respect this procedure and use their best
endeavours to resolve issues between them via this system.
"St Kilda's decision is, in our view, inconsistent with this principle and has the
potential to undermine the commitment of players to the established codes and
procedures for dealing with disciplinary matters and disputes within the AFL
industry.
"We have serious concerns as to whether Andrew's legal rights have been respected
and will further consult with his legal representatives to address this concern in
coming days."
The Saints sacked Lovett a day after he was charged with rape.
He is due to face court on Friday.
St Kilda said Lovett made multiple breaches of his playing contract in his short
time at the club.
They have also stressed the decision to tear up Lovett's three-year, million-dollar
deal was unrelated to his guilt or innocence of the charge.
St Kilda originally suspended Lovett indefinitely on Christmas Eve after it emerged
he was under police investigation.
Lovett then started the grievance procedure to fight his club suspension.
"The grievance procedure which has been progressing for a number of weeks between
Andrew Lovett and St Kilda should have been permitted to run its full course,"
Finnis said.