Prominent AFL player manager Tom Petroro believes players who opt out of going into quarantine hubs should not have their pay docked.

Richmond captain Trent Cotchin put it on the agenda yesterday, saying some players may not be able to leave home for extended periods of time if they’re expecting babies or have people to care for at home.

Collingwood’s Jordan Roughead is one of the players weighing up whether to go when his side heads to a hub in Perth as his wife recently had a health scare.

Petroro says he would be surprised if the AFL made the call not to pay players in situations like Roughead’s.

“Let’s not forget that not every player is paid a guaranteed amount of money,” he told SEN Breakfast.

“So the guys that are paid base and match scenarios, they’re going to have to forgo match payments.

“Guys that are on guaranteed money, I guess this is a unique employer-employee relationship and the conditions the players are under, I don’t think there’s a lot of employees in our country that are under their condition.

“My expectation would be that their pay wouldn’t be affected, however I think people are sensible too and the boys have already given up a fair bit so I would be surprised if their pay was docked because they didn’t go to a hub because their wife is expecting a baby.”

Petroro added that he doesn’t expect too many players to opt out if Victorian clubs are forced out of the state in the coming weeks.

“They’ve been pretty good. I think that they’ve probably comes to terms with the fact (that they’ll be playing in hubs),” he said.

“I rang around yesterday more to the players that are parents who if they’re leaving home to go to hubs they’re leaving a bit more behind and they’re all ready to roll their sleeves up and get going.

“There’s going to be one or two players across the competition that may not go because their wives are expecting babies or there’s extra care at home, but across the board the guys have been really proactive and they want to keep putting the show on.

“They know they’ve got a duty and they’re keen to keep putting the show on.”