Red-letter day for women’s footy as SANFL introduces salary cap
SA’s state league women’s footballers are finally poised to cash in on their immense talents, with a salary cap introduced for the SANFLW competition.
Local Footy
Don't miss out on the headlines from Local Footy. Followed categories will be added to My News.
SANFL Women’s players are finally poised to cash in on their immense talents.
In a landmark deal, the league has signed off on paying the SANFLW players from its eight standalone clubs, with a salary cap to be introduced for the 2025 season.
Following extensive consultation with the SANFL clubs and approval from the SA Football Commission, a salary cap of $30,000 per club will be implemented from 2025.
This will increase to $32,000 in 2026.
“This is the right next step for the evolution of women’s football in South Australia,’’ South Adelaide captain Brianna Cleggett said.
“The foundations have been built and this will help set the tone for what the next generation of players can expect from the game.
“The competition is ready for it and it’s very exciting.
“From a mature player’s perspective, someone who has been in the system for a while, it’s just really nice to see all the effort over the past few years be rewarded.
“The women’s game has grown quickly and is going to continue to grow.’’
The historic news comes on the back of a rise in the men’s SANFL salary cap from $330,000, including allowances, this year to $345,000 in 2024.
The SANFL women’s league has been running since 2017 but players have played for no financial reward, despite heavy training workloads that have increased to four-to-five sessions a week, including full training, gym and running work.
“The expectation and intensity is growing, both from a players’ perspective and their willingness to invest in the game and their bodies, and also from a competition point of view and what’s necessary to compete at the level,’’ said Cleggett, who is on the SANFLW players representative committee that has been collaborating with the SANFL about the future of the women’s competition.
SANFL executive general manager football Matt Duldig said the introduction of a salary cap for the SANFLW illustrated how the league’s premier women’s competition had evolved.
“Throughout the feedback process it became evident that SANFL and its clubs were committed to having a salary cap in place for the SANFLW league within the next three seasons,’’ he said.
“Since its introduction seven years ago, the SANFLW competition has developed a
consistently high standard of play which has provided the state’s best female players with
the ideal platform to shine.
“This has been illustrated by the performance of South Australia’s under-18 girls team on the
national stage, winning the past two AFL national championship crowns.’’
In the past two years, the SANFL has introduced a SANFLW development league, provided funding to support the employment of a women’s football manager at SANFL clubs, expanded its SANFLW under-15 and under-17 development squads and had its showpiece SANFLW grand final telecast live on Channel 7.
“The gradual and continued investment into our female talent pathways and competitions
has been a strategic priority for the SANFL,’’ Duldig said.
“And it has now evolved to the point where the introduction of player payments in 2025 is the right thing to do at the right time.”
While a salary cap will be introduced for 2025, next season the competition will expand from 12 to 14 rounds, allowing each team to play each other twice before the finals.
The season will start on the first weekend in March, with the fixture to be released in late December.
After an admission fee was introduced for the past two SANFLW finals series, this will be expanded to the minor round next season at a cost of $10 for adults and $5 for concession.
Children under-18 will be admitted free.
‘I’m excited’: Former Geelong prospect signs with local SA footy club
An SA footy young gun has returned to his home state after two years in the AFL system and signed with a local club ahead of season 2025.
Ranked: Top 25 Hills Football League players of the 21st Century
The Hills Football League has been stacked with top talent throughout this century so we’ve ranked the best of the best. See our top 25 Division One players of the past 25 years.