Adelaide Crows star Ebony Marinoff reveals players are contracted just 14 hours a week
A Crows AFLW dual premiership star reveals players are contracted for less than half the time their male counterparts are per week.
Local Sport
Don't miss out on the headlines from Local Sport. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- Crow Courtney Cramey weighs into Tayla Harris controversy
- How to make the most of your Advertiser digital subscription
Adelaide stars Courtney Cramey and Ebony Marinoff say the AFL must find a better way to increase AFLW players’ wages rather than asking the men to take a pay cut.
Reports emerged earlier this month the AFL Players’ Association was considering slashing the male players’ wages to help fund the AFLW competition.
The next Collective Bargaining Agreement will start from 2023.
Stream over 50 sports live & anytime on your TV or favourite device with KAYO SPORTS. The biggest Aussie sports and the best from overseas. Just $25/month. No lock-in contract. Get your 14-day free trial >
AFLPA boss Paul Marsh has since slammed the suggestions, telling SEN last week “to talk about the men subsidising the women has not even been part of the conversation”.
Speaking on The Advertiser’s women’s football podcast, CJ and the Noff, both said they were against the men subsiding their pay.
Marinoff revealed Crows AFLW players were only contracted to be at the club 14 hours a week, forcing many to train in their own time while juggling a full-time job.
She said the only way for the women’s game to improve was to pay players more or make them full-time.
“They (the AFL) are hoping that eventually we do have an agreement with the men’s and the women’s like they do in other leagues across the country and across the world,” Marinoff said.
“But in terms of us cutting into the men’s salary cap or if that’s lowered to give us more money – I’m not a huge fan of that.
“I would like to hope that our league can be, I guess, looked after by the AFL in some other way instead of the boys having to sacrifice.
“For our game to grow and for our games to be better, we need to have more time on the track, more time in the gym and the more time we have, the better the game will get.
“We are contracted 14 hours a week and our boys are in at the club obviously full time, but that would be more than 38 hours some weeks.
“We are on the track not even 14 hours, so you take all that into account when people say that AFLW isn’t up to the standard of the boys’ – of course it’s not going to be – we train a quarter of what they do.”
Cramey, who played her first game for 2020 in the Crows’ 11-point win against Geelong after returning from a groin injury, agreed.
“It’s been an interesting debate,” the experienced defender said.
“It’s an important time for the industry moving forward.
“There’s been a bit of talk around whether the men should supplement the women’s pay and that’s not really what it’s about.
“It’s about looking at the growth of the industry and making sure that women and men are paid accordingly.
“It’s not about women or men supplementing each other.
The Crows take on Carlton at Richmond in a grand final rematch this Sunday afternoon.
They are hoping to have Erin Phillips make her long-awaited return after rupturing her ACL in last year’s flag decider.
“You’ll have to stay tuned (on if Phillips will play),” Marinoff said.
“I think she’s been a chance for the last few weeks,” Cramey added.
“It’s just going to be great that first time we get her back and hopefully that’s this week.”