The club took to social on Thursday to reveal that Brown would be departing effective immediately, making a widely panned 25-word statement.
“Brisbane Roar FC wishes to advise of the termination of the contract of defender Corey Brown,” the statement reads.
“The club wishes him well for his future endeavours.”
The PFA have quickly responded with a statement of their own, describing the Roar’s conduct as ‘well below the expected standards of a professional football club’ and confirming Brown will be seeking legal action.
“As the club is aware, Corey has initiated judicial proceedings to dispute Brisbane Roar’s termination of his contract,” PFA Co-CEO Beau Busch said in the statement.
“As a consequence of this legal action, Corey’s contract remains on foot until a final determination is made. This is something the club, deliberately or otherwise, is failing to understand.
“As the club continues to operate well below the expected standards of a professional football club, the PFA’s primary focus remains on protecting Corey’s wellbeing – something the club seems to have little regard for.”
Brown has played 170 A-League Men’s games, most of them with the Roar, who he joined for the first time in the 2012-13 season.
He played 88 games before signing with Melbourne Victory for the 2018-19 campaign, before rejoining the Roar at the beginning of 2020, where he has remained since.
Football Australia have since told the Courier Mail Brown has applied to put the contract dispute in front of the National Dispute Resolution Chamber.