I get what you're saying, I just think this should be tempered by a broader duty to AFL clubs. In this _specific_ case, that broader duty may have led to advising McConville to disclose the ACA approach. We can disagree about it.
It's sort of like, lawyers should absolutely be a tenacious and even fierce advocate for their clients. But they _do_ have broader duties to the court which will sometimes come into conflict with their duty to their clients. Not often, I grant you.
The CBA mandates that once appointed by a player the club must deal with the manager in any contract negotiation. Must. No question at all. None.
This being the case, clubs are hamstrung in negotiations as they have no third party advocate, the issue isn't with the AFLPA in this sense, it is with the player manager.
AFLPA advised caution, which is fine, totally expected and no harm no foul because the information was not concrete, it had not broken and it was the manager who approached them so we have no idea what information was supplied to them at the time. As an advocate, the manager acted in poor faith in the negotiations by withholding potentially dangerous information, for his client, for the club, for the industry. I agree with Gil in this sense, crime of conscience.
Strictly speaking, if I am Carlisle, if I have just had my face on national television snorting coke, I'm shaking the hand of my manager and saying "thank you for fine service, unfortunately you are fired" to distance myself from him and "start fresh" from this, after copping whatever whacks we want to do to him to say it's now even and you've got the last chance saloon. Then who knows, 2 years in re-hire him, continue to consult, continue an association. That he hasn't, slightly worrying, apologies are hollow words without sincerity and/or action, and it's such a small thing to change player managers in the context of things.