PVL leadership believes Farm Fresh is disadvantaged if Fil-Am setter Alohi Robins-Hardy pushes through with her PVL Draft ultimatum.
The Farm Fresh Foxies stand to be the biggest loser of the 2025 PVL Draft, should Fil-Am playmaker Alohi Robin-Hardy push through with her ultimatum not to play for any other team other than Farm Fresh.
[READ: Alohi Robins-Hardy issues PVL Draft ultimatum: Farm Fresh or return to US]
“Well, I'm worried for Farm Fresh na kapag dinraft siya, ng ibang team, kung di siya kinuha ng first round tapos kinuha siya ng ibang team bago matapos yung first round o bago umabot ulit sa second round kay Farm Fresh, sayang kasi kung di magkasundo sa kontrata, di rin maglalaro si Alohi. Sayang yung whatever contract deal na meron sila ng Farm Fresh,” Malonzo told media at the PSA Forum on Tuesday.
“Yun naman ang nakikita kong disadvantage kay Farm Fresh kung di nila kukunin ng first round [si Alohi]. Right now, kailangan namin pag-usapan as a group kasi this is something new," he added.
At the moment, the PVL is at a crossroads in terms of dealing with Robins-Hardy, whom they have previously barred from being a direct hire for the team.
Now with the latest statement from Alohi, the PVL will be discussing how things will go about.
“We need to discuss first internally on how to manage this,” Malonzo said.
As for the initial issue with Robins-Hardy’s ineligibility to be directly signed by Farm Fresh, the PVL remains committed to the rule at the moment, wherein you are still not considered a “free agent” locally even if you play professionally abroad.
“Right now, wala naman, hindi pa open yung discussion sa amin yung if you played pro or semi-pro abroad, you become a free agent na locally,” said Malonzo.
“Wala naman tayo ka-tie up na league pa abroad so hindi ko rin masabi sa atin. Basta bago ka maglalaro sa PVL, kung di ka naglaro dun sa period na nabanggit namin, which is from 2021 until last year na first conference, you have to go through the draft.”
All discussions will culminate on Sunday, though, as the 2025 PVL Rookie Draft goes underway at the Novotel Manila.