Western United Players Issue Breach Notices Over Unpaid Wages as Club Faces Continued Financial Turmoil

Western United’s struggles have deepened, with both A-League Men’s and Women’s players issuing formal breach of contract notices over outstanding wages and unpaid superannuation.

Professional Footballers Australia (PFA), the players’ union, confirmed on Tuesday that it has lodged the notices on behalf of players. The club now faces a two-week deadline, expiring June 3, to fulfill its payment obligations or risk players walking away from their contracts entirely.

“The ongoing failure of Western United to meet its contractual obligations to players, including unpaid wages and superannuation, is unacceptable,” PFA chief executive Beau Busch stated. “The professionalism and commitment of the players and staff in extremely difficult circumstances has been remarkable. We are actively engaging with both the club and the APL to ensure the matter is resolved swiftly and the players will continue to be supported with the full resources of the PFA.”

The issue has surfaced just days before the club’s A-League Men’s team faces Melbourne City in the second leg of their semifinal clash, where they trail 3-0. Despite the off-field challenges, players remain eligible to compete in the Grand Final should they progress.

A club spokesperson acknowledged the seriousness of the situation and said efforts were underway to resolve it. “The club has been in constant communication with the players and is working closely with the PFA and the APL to address these matters urgently,” the club said in a statement. “Everyone at the club is fully focused on our semi-final second leg against Melbourne City on Saturday and we look forward to seeing our supporters and Australian football fans in attendance for a fantastic occasion.”

Teen defender Dylan Leonard, one of United’s young prospects, spoke at a pre-match press conference about the squad’s mindset heading into the crucial fixture. “The boys know that we're going to get paid at the end,” Leonard said. “It doesn't matter. But regardless of that, it's not very often you get to play in a semifinal. And a lot of these boys have been around the A-League for a long time, and they tell us 'boys, you don't get to play in this very often'. So for us, we're so focused on the game that anything outside of it doesn't really affect us.”

The financial dispute is the latest in a series of setbacks for the Tarneit-based outfit. The club is currently under a FIFA-imposed player registration ban until January 2027, following an unresolved dispute with former striker Aleksandar Prijović.

Earlier this year, the Australian Tax Office filed a winding-up application against Western Melbourne Group—the club’s parent company. Though United had previously fallen behind on payments, they managed to meet those obligations. However, recent delays have reignited concerns, especially as hope had been pinned on a takeover deal.

Earlier this month, the club announced a proposed sale to KAM Melbourne, a subsidiary of U.S.-based KAM Sports, in a deal reportedly worth around AUD$100 million. The transaction, which would see the new investors assume control of both Western United’s football and property interests, remains subject to regulatory approval from the Australian Professional Leagues (APL) and Football Australia. Meanwhile, the PFA has initiated its own due diligence into the prospective owners.

Despite optimism surrounding the takeover, Tuesday’s breach notices were submitted on the same day players—still awaiting pay—attended the club’s end-of-season awards night.

As the June 3 deadline looms, all eyes are on Western United to determine whether the club can navigate yet another off-field crisis while keeping its season alive on the pitch.

_{Featured Image Credit: Pexels / Steve Rodrigue, Instagram / @westernutdfc}