An ugly dispute between Brisbane Roar defender Corey Brown and his club has exploded into the public domain, with Roar and the players association trading incendiary claims over the club’s decision to terminate the defender’s contract unilaterally.
After announcing that Brown had been sacked on Thursday, Brisbane put out a fresh statement on Friday claiming they had terminated his contract for “serious misconduct” and theatening to make public the alleged reasons.
The club also turned its fire on Professional Footballers Australia after the PFA had accused the club of making “misleading and bizarre” comments in announcing its decision to jettison a figure who was Roar’s player of the year six years ago.
A dispute that is understood to be months in the making is now heading to court in footballing terms, after Brown applied to have his case heard by Football Australia’s National Dispute Resolution Chamber.
But in the meantime the war of words escalated rapidly on Friday with increasingly personal claims indicating that relations between the club and their player – who has made more than 150 appearances in Roar colours – have broken down completely.
Early on Friday the PFA had attacked Brisbane for “deliberately or otherwise” ignoring contract regulations, which the PFA claims show Brown’s contract remains valid until the NDRC has made a ruling on the case.
“This is something the club, deliberately or otherwise, is failing to understand,” PFA co-chief executive Beau Busch said in a statement.
“As the club continues to operate well below the expected standards of a professional football club, the PFA’s primary focus remains on protecting Corey’s wellbeing – something the club seems to have little regard for.”
But in a dramatic escalation on Friday evening, Brisbane issued a statement that attacked Busch and said it was acting in the interests of its whole playing squad.
“The PFA and the Club have opposed positions regarding the consequences that flow from the factual basis for the termination,” Roar’s statement said.
“If the PFA wishes to agitate those issues in the public domain, the club is happy to have these issues ventilated to allow its members and supporters to decide how the club has dealt with this issue.
“As to the balance of the post, the club believes that the PFA is better served to examine its own issues than attempting to deflect blame here upon Brisbane Roar FC without any basis.”
Football Australia had already confirmed on Friday that Brown has initiated a case with the NDRC, though it remains unclear how long that will take. It comes after Roar had issued a brief statement on Thursday, saying only: “Brisbane Roar FC wishes to advise of the termination of the contract of defender Corey Brown. The club wishes him well for his future endeavours.”
Roar are no stranger to legal disputes with former players and staff.
In 2021, a settlement was agreed between Roar and former Socceroo Brett Holman after a court ruled a payment received following a career-ending knee injury should have gone to the player and not the club.
A year before that ruling, FIFA’s dispute resolution chamber upheld Robbie Fowler’s claim he was wrongfully dismissed by the club as head coach in June 2020, awarding him a six-figure payout.
