LEIGH Montagna has been appointed to the AFL Players’ Association board ahead of the 2015 season.

The 31-year-old has been a club delegate for five years - the longest-serving current club delegate - and was elected to the board alongside Melbourne forward Chris Dawes.

Luke Ball and Dan Jackson stepped down at the end of last season, opening the door for Montagna to assume more responsibility in an official capacity.

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“I’ve been thinking about it for a while,” Montagna told Triple M’s Hot Breakfast on Wednesday morning.

“It’s exciting. The CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) negotiations are coming up, so there’ll be plenty of issues and I look forward to being part of it.”

One of the biggest talking points in recent times has been free agency, and the midfielder suggested it is important to evaluate the concept with a long-term perspective.

“We need to look at what it’s going to look like in five, ten, twenty years,”  

“I think it’s fair that players have some sort of say as to where they go [and] it will be interesting to see how it all pans out in the next 12 months.

“It’s here to stay.”

LAUNCHED: Saints Membership March

More than 100 players voted to elect Montagna to a board which is headed by new President Matthew Pavlich.

Each AFL club has two delegates and winger Farren Ray is St Kilda’s other representative.

Western Bulldogs ruckman Will Minson was elected Vice-President.

Nick Riewoldt and Leigh Montagna at training last week.