‘Devastating’ $1m impact of Western United’s collapse revealed
The collapse of Western United has come at the cost of close to $1 million in cumulative player salaries over the 2024-25 season, according to the Professional Footballers Australia (PFA).
The Melbourne-based football club was placed into liquidation by the Federal Courts of Australia in March 2025 after being pursued for more than $15.5m in tax debt.
Western united only survived seven seasons in the Australian top-flight. Getty Images
United urgently needed a takeover bid to keep their revival hopes alive and remain in the A-League, but their attempts to find a white knight ultimately failed.
A small group of club staff who were working through the crisis have since finished their duties with the club, while academy players were forced to accept their season would finish prematurely.
John Aloisi, who led the team to win the men’s A-League title in 2021/22, moved to China in January after accepting a coaching job with Chengdu Rongcheng FC.
Players in the club’s A-League squad had been informed in September 2025 that they would become free agents due to the club entering hibernation.
With the club now condemned to extinction, PFA chief executive Beau Busch told nine.com.au there was a cumulative loss of $1 million in player salaries.
That sum accounts for 24 players, including those who found contracts elsewhere, and is a combination of eight days of unpaid wages plus superannuation and the difference between the players’ Western United deals and their new contracts signed elsewhere.
Of that $1m, the PFA says that a total of $50,000 is owed in unpaid wages, including superannuation payments for July, August and September.
Nine.com.au does not suggest any impropriety from any party, only that some players and staff have not been paid their full entitlements.
“The collapse of Western United had a devastating impact on the careers of our members at the club,” Busch said in a statement.
“The collapse of the club highlighted the governance shortcomings of Australian football where business risk continues to be disproportionately placed on players.”
When speaking with nine.com.au, the A-League claimed it is not aware of any money owing to players due to Western United’s collapse.
The PFA is seeking stronger protections and sanctions regarding non-payments in the league’s new collective bargaining agreement (CBA).
The A-League is aligned with the PFA on that front and is still working through the details to ensure that better protections and sanctions are in place when the new CBA is signed off.
Western United were not the only club that has endured payment issues recently. The Newcastle Jets, Perth Glory and Central Coast Mariners have also had financial issues play out in public.
Western United played their final game on May 24, 2025, ending in a 1-1 draw against Melbourne City. Getty Images
Western United had been operating under a FIFA-imposed ban, which prevented the club from registering new players, before its collapse due to a pay dispute with ex-striker Aleksandar Prijovic.
The ban was set to lift midway through the A-League season in January 2027.
Nine.com.au understands some club staff are still waiting on pay dating back to August last year. A one-off payment was received by staff in January but in many cases it did not cover the shortfall.
It was understood by staff that they would receive their full payments once the sale of the club was completed, as per the messaging from the club’s executives.
Nine.com.au has seen correspondence from the A-League with Western United staff directing them to pursue their portion of unpaid wages and leave through the Fair Entitlements Guarantee, which on average takes up to 14 weeks. It also does not cover the lost superannuation over that period.
Western United first joined the A-League in 2019, reaching the semi-finals in their inaugural season. Two seasons later, the club won their first A-League men’s championship.
The women’s team then joined the A-League for the 2022-23 season.
South Melbourne, who were overlooked in favour of Western United to be the newest A-League expansion team in 2019, have reaffirmed their interest in joining the competition.
The 2026-27 A-League season will begin on October 16 at Allianz Stadium with the Sydney derby, where Sydney FC will take on the Western Sydney Wanderers.
