The list of the league’s most marketable players is changing rapidly, and their capacity to cash in with multimillion-dollar off-field deals has been revolutionised in the past five years.
The AFL is entering a new era of player empowerment as superstars turn to off-field experts to tap into a multimillion-dollar market.
The Gemba Group – an industry leader in providing insights into the sport and entertainment world – rated Dustin Martin, Gary Ablett jnr, Nat Fyfe, Nic Naitanui and Trent Cotchin as the game’s five most marketable footballers at the end of the 2020 season.
Chad Warner, Christian Petracca, Harley Reid and Nick Daicos are young stars of the AFL developing their own brand.Credit: Aresna Villanueva
Fyfe, who turns 34 this year, is the only one of that quintet still in the AFL.
Replacing them is a precocious batch of stars with arguably greater interest in cultivating their off-field brand, including Nick Daicos, Christian Petracca, Harley Reid, Bailey Smith, Isaac Heeney, Charlie Curnow, Will Ashcroft, Chad Warner, Toby Greene, Nick Watson, Jack Ginnivan and Tom Green.
Collingwood’s Daicos came out on top in Gemba’s most up-to-date pecking order of the AFL’s most marketable players, as of this month, which considers reach, interest, influence and momentum.
Jay Rowlings, a commercial guru who formerly worked at TGI Sport (then known as TLA Worldwide) and now runs MADE Sports Group with co-founder Will Edwards, has seen the industry shift dramatically.
“When I was at TLA, we had Cotchin, [Joel] Selwood and Jonathan Brown, but the top players today are doing triple or quadruple the commercial deals of what those boys were doing in their prime,” Rowlings told this masthead.
“It’s extraordinary. I would argue that Nick Daicos would probably rival Christian now.”
The Petracca prototype
Melbourne’s Petracca, who Gemba rated at No.18 among the most marketable, boasts one of the biggest brands among AFL footballers, a group his captain, Max Gawn, also belongs in. He has branded himself as “an athlete who likes to cook” and shares “quick and simple recipes” on his OnTrac5 website, as well as videos on Instagram and TikTok.
Melbourne star Christian Petracca is also building a brand off the field, including his popular cooking videos on Instagram.Credit: Elke Meitzel
The Age revealed this month Petracca’s decision to split with powerhouse management agency Connors Sports and instead be represented by talent and partnerships expert Anna Scullie, who is also Eddie Betts’ wife.
Scullie had already been working with the Demons midfielder since August last year on his commercial deals and intends to officially become a player agent. Petracca’s wife, Bella, also helps him with his cooking side-hustle.
Rowlings has negotiated deals for Petracca, too. He and MADE have an exclusive working relationship – beyond some notable examples – to represent Connors Sports’ elite clients, from Daicos to Reid, Smith, Curnow, Greene and Harry Sheezel.
MADE, which also drives commercial outcomes for Melbourne Storm captain Harry Grant and Pilates expert Sara Colquhoun, negotiated Petracca’s Woolworths arrangement, plus a Colgate advertisement alongside Heeney.
Petracca, who is contracted to Melbourne until the end of 2029, told this masthead a fortnight ago that the split was “not necessarily” about increasing his off-field opportunities.
“I think, for Connors Sports specifically, they’ve got only so many hours in the day,” Rowlings said. “We provide that proactive arm, where we sit down with talent, work out what their brand is, where it’s going, who they’re authentically aligned with, and we contact those brands and nut out those deals.”
Connors Sports is also involving MADE in certain pitches to prospective teenage clients, in a development that is moving closer towards the United States model.
For example, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts hires an agent to negotiate playing contracts, but his all-female management team includes a media relations expert, a publicist, a marketing and branding specialist, and a senior client manager.
Collingwood superstar Nick Daicos is arguably the AFL’s most marketable player.Credit: Getty Images
What the future might look like
Ex-Adelaide captain Rory Sloane, who is passionate about AFL players improving their post-career fortunes, said he would split his affairs if he was still playing, and thinks it could be a new trend with current players.
In fact, Sloane, a former AFLPA vice-president, thinks he might not even hire a traditional player agent if he had his time over again.
“I’d structure up in a way where every time I come out of contract; I’d have a sports lawyer who knows the industry and can look after my contract negotiations,” Sloane told this masthead.
Rory Sloane would use a different management structure if he had his time over again. Credit: Getty Images
“Then, I think you should, and there are players who would want to, get a PR agency involved, or someone who might help them with their socials, where they also generate a bit of a revenue stream. And then there’s the accounting piece, too, which, I think, is crucial and probably one of the most important pieces.”
Sloane also said some players were frustrated with the commission model used by managers, in particular how much they still owed after a deal was agreed upon.
The latest collective bargaining agreement between the AFL and AFL Players’ Association, which stretches from 2023-27, has already delivered a salary boom that could see the league’s number of millionaires double from 25 last season by the end of it.
That CBA also introduced a $34.6 million marketing fund that will present the game’s biggest stars with the chance to earn even more cash with the AFL’s existing sponsors and corporate partners.
Being one of the best players is the obvious first step to cashing in off the field.
However, Rowlings said there were several other factors: being a “good person” who could be relied upon; an ability to stand out, which he said they assisted footballers with; and a want to “drive commercial opportunities, build a brand and have something outside of footy”.
As players become more aware, and interested in, their brand, Rowlings said it was important for football agencies to adapt and not be shortsighted about working with other specialists.
He points to their “creations” service as one way they add value, where they help athletes develop their own businesses rather than solely promoting brands.
In just his second season, Harley Reid is already one of the AFL’s most recognisable and in-demand players.Credit: AFL Photos
Greene and Heeney benefited from this with their business, 5th Quarter Camps, which aims to provide football experiences and opportunities for Sydneysiders.
“The $2 million in deals we did last year for talent adds so much value to Paul [Connors], Robbie [D’Orazio] and their business,” Rowlings said.
“We’re not stepping on their toes. We’re getting new deals, we’re adding new revenue, and the talent are as happy as they have ever been.
“They feel loved because Paul and Robbie are investing in us, which essentially is giving them more opportunity.”
Keep up to date with the best AFL coverage in the country. Sign up for the Real Footy newsletter.
