There has been a 12-fold explosion in the number of AFL players paid more than $1 million over the past decade, with a record 25 joining the exclusive club last year.
In 2014, just two players – one believed to have been Gary Ablett jnr with the Gold Coast Suns – were paid more than $1 million.
Christian Petracca, Patrick Cripps and Ben McKay are among the top earners in the AFL.Credit: Aresna Villanueva/Getty Images
Now 25 players are taking home seven figures in pay through a season, an increase of six on 2023.
There were 10 players who pocketed at least $1.2 million, up two on 2023, the AFL confirmed in its annual report released on Monday.
In 2022, only three players earned more than $1.2 million, while there were a dozen on more than $1 million.
There has also been a leap in those paid at least $800,000 a season, from 51 in 2022 to 64 last year.
Dual Carlton Brownlow medallist Patrick Cripps, Melbourne gun Christian Petracca, Western Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli, Sydney star Isaac Heeney and now-retired Richmond great Dustin Martin are likely to have been in the million-dollar club, as were Demons midfielder Clayton Oliver and Essendon defender Ben McKay, the latter having enjoyed a bumper, front-ended contract after leaving North Melbourne.
Richmond forward Tom Lynch, Collingwood captain Darcy Moore and Port Adelaide runners Connor Rozee and Zak Butters are also believed to be among the AFL’s highest-paid players.
However, while there are those on gold-plated incomes, there were 117 listed players – likely youngsters – who made between $100,000 and $200,000. This band was the biggest, followed by those earning between $200,000 and $300,000 (104). No player earned less than $100,000.
There were 250 players who made at least $500,000.
Total player payments jumped $800,000 to $15.8 million per club last season, leading to the average payment for a listed player to increase from $441,464 to $459,173.
The average payment for players who played at least one senior match was $493,592, up from $476,215 in 2023.
The salary cap under the new collective bargaining agreement is only growing, meaning it’s likely next year that there will be even more who enjoy a bumper salary.
Last year’s record number of millionaires came in a season when the AFL’s overall executive pay fell by $2.8 million to $10.8 million, following the departures of chief executive Gillon McLachlan and fellow experienced executives Travis Auld and Kylie Rogers.
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