Gold Coast Suns sign Mac Andrew to richest deal in AFL history
The AFL world has been stunned after 20-year-old Gold Coast Suns star Mac Andrew signed the richest deal in the game’s history.
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Gold Coast Suns star Mac Andrew has reportedly signed what could be the richest deal in the history of the AFL.
News Corp’s Callum Dick reported the 20-year-old utility had penned a six-year deal with a games trigger in 2030 to activate a further four years, with the deal coming in at between $12-14m based on certain clauses.
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Nine’s Tom Morris also reported the trigger was 60 games, and if it went the entire length would go until the end of the 2034 season, meaning it would be a nine-year, $12m extension.
“All that is remaining is for Andrew to sign on the dotted line and for the AFL to approve the deal,” Morris said on Nine News Melbourne.
Andrew is already contracted on until the end of the 2025 season, meaning the money won’t necessarily come pouring in immediately.
“Although the Suns have shuffled his money for next season, the deal really begins in 2026,” Morris explained.
Speaking on Nine’s Footy Classified, Morris explained that if Andrew hit the 60-game trigger, the contract would automatically roll over.
If the deal goes the entire 10-year length, it will be the longest current deal, surpassing the contracts of Port Adelaide skipper Connor Rozee, Western Bulldogs forward Aaron Naughton and Giants defender Sam Taylor.
The deal, which is expected to be in excess of $1.3m a season, would dwarf the long-term deals of Dustin Martin and Lance Franklin.
The AFL’s Callum Twomey reported that Hawthorn had made a hard sell for the youngster but Andrew decided to tie his future to the Suns and coach Damien Hardwick.
“When Dimma came in and seeing the way he changed the place and how enjoyable he made it … it’s somewhere people want to be,” Andrew told The Herald Sun.
“It really influenced my decision to make the Gold Coast my home for hopefully the rest of my career.
“We have a really young team and Dimma has brought us a lot closer. We’re all really connected and on the same page about what we want to achieve here. Once it all clicks I think it will be really scary what this team can do.”
While several Victorian rivals were linked to Andrew, including one that reportedly was ready to offer $12m for eight seasons, he added: “I probably never really wanted to go back to Melbourne.”
Andrew grew up in Melbourne and his family primarily still lives in the state.
Speaking on Fox Footy’s Midweek Tackle, The Herald Sun’s Lauren Wood described it as a “huge statement” while Glen McFarlane said it was “the most significant signing for the Gold Coast since Gary Ablett”.
“There were clubs coming for him everywhere,” McFarlane said.
“Damian Hardwick was so excited to get the toys at the Gold Coast that he really wanted.
“This isn’t just the toys. This is getting a hold of Santa’s sack three months before Christmas. How good is this for the Gold Coast.
“We want this footy club to be a success. It has to be a success. This is a long step ahead towards it becoming a success.”
As yet the Suns have never made a finals appearance since coming into the AFL in 2011, with a best finish of 12th in 2014 and 2022.
In 2024, the Suns finished 13th.
The Herald Sun’s Josh Barnes said it was “a genuine risk” as Andrew would be paid like “potentially the best player of all-time”.
On Nine’s Footy Classified, Eddie McGuire said it was just a sign of things to come.
“This could be a world record contract for about five minutes,” McGuire said. “There could be two more — Sam Darcy and Harley Reid.”
Damien Barrett also added Swans star Chad Warner into the mix.
McGuire said it was “enormous” for the Gold Coast and for the South Sudanese community.
“What that will do for the African community, knowing that Australian rules football is their home in Australia, it’s a wonderful, wonderful thing,” McGuire said.
“I think the South Sudanese boys and the boys from the Horn of Africa will have as big an impact as what African players made in the NBA in due course.”
Originally published as Gold Coast Suns sign Mac Andrew to richest deal in AFL history
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