AFL average salary hits record high as four players earned more than $1 million in 2015
FOUR AFL players earned more than $1 million last year — two of them more than $1.2 million — as the average salary exceeded $300,000 for the first time.
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FOUR AFL players earned more than $1 million last year — two of them more than $1.2 million — as the average salary exceeded $300,000 for the first time.
The payment figures released on Friday by the AFL — which has begun talks on a new pay deal for players — showed clubs paid more than $200 million to players in 2015, an increase of almost 6 per cent on the previous year.
The league does not identify top earners, but Gold Coast captain Gary Ablett, West Coast ruckman Nic Naitanui, Collingwood’s Scott Pendlebury and Essendon captain Jobe Watson are widely regarded as among the best-paid players in the game, with Brownlow Medal Docker Nat Fyfe, and Carlton skipper Marc Murphy not far behind.
Brisbane Lion Dayne Beams, who switched from Collingwood last year, is also believed to be on a big-money deal, while Lance Franklin is expected to earn the bulk of his huge-money deal with Sydney in the latter years of his nine-year contract.
The figures showed players who played an AFL game in 2015 averaged almost $325,000 and more than 90 players earned more than $500,000 for the season.
The pay figures include $18.6 million paid to players under additional service agreements, largely compensation for top players to market their clubs.
The AFL Players’ Association has demanded a percentage share of the game’s revenue when it inks a new pay deal with the league later this year.
Negotiations are expected to take months, with the new Collective Bargaining Agreement to come into effect in 2017.
PAY EXPLOSION
1990: AFL’s top paid eight players each earned between $100,000-$200,000.
2015: 95 earned more than $500,000 each, two earned more than $1.2 million.
GROSS PLAYER PAYMENTS
1998: $62,186,000
2015: $200,199,169
AVERAGE LISTED PLAYER SALARY
2000: $126,996
2015: $302,104
Originally published as AFL average salary hits record high as four players earned more than $1 million in 2015
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