The AFL and the players' union are set to resume pay discussions in the hopes of averting a pre-season strike.
Talks between the two parties have stalled over the off-season, with the league resisting demands for a percentage of fixed revenue in the new collective bargaining agreement.
AFL Players Association chief Paul Marsh says negotiations will resume this week, with a strike during next month's pre-season competition still possible if a deal can't be reached.
"It's not really appropriate to be talking about the pre-season competition at this stage," Marsh said on Monday.
"We want to get things moving. Let's get these talks going and hopefully we can get to a resolution as soon as possible."
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Tension between the two camps grew when AFL chief Gillon McLachlan declined an invitation to attend a summit in Torquay last month, with Geelong star Patrick Dangerfield describing the move as disrespectful.
Marsh confirmed McLachlan would not be part of the pay talks this week but said that was not unusual at this point in the negotiations.
"We've got working parties. Gillon's not necessarily involved in those," he said.
AFLPA president and former Fremantle Dockers star Matthew Pavlich last month said the league had not taken a constructive approach to the discussions.
"When we can't get to the negotiating table and we can't talk, it sort of leaves us scratching our heads a little bit," Pavlich said.
