Billy Brownless and Dale Thomas open up about AFL pay packets
Billy Brownless has revealed what he was paid at the height of his distinguished football career, and how it compares to his son Oscar who was drafted by the Cats last year.
Entertainment
Don't miss out on the headlines from Entertainment. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Billy Brownless has opened up about AFL pay packets, revealing he was paid $120,000-a-year at the height of his career.
By comparison, his son Oscar, who was drafted by he Cats last year, has a starting salary of $80,000.
Billy, who is competing on Channel 10’s I’m A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here, made the comments during a discussion with fellow challengers Dale Thomas, Miguel Maestre and Cosentino, airing on the show tonight.
The former Geelong champion, who says he “got sacked” in 1997, said he balanced a full-time bank job with football commitments.
“Twenty years ago, I was working back then,” Brownless said.
“I’d work at the bank, finish at 4, knock off by 4.30 or balance up and I’d go to training at 5.”
TV chef Maestre asked: “So, there wasn’t much pay from footy?”
Brownless replied: “Most I got… I think, one year, I got 120 grand.”
Maestre: “So, it’s quite low.”
Brownless: “Well, compared to back then, it wasn’t bad. It wasn’t that bad, to be honest.”
Thomas said AFL pay packets increased in the 2000s after player “demands became a lot more”.
Brownless revealed his son Oscar, who was drafted by the Cats last year, is paid $80,000.
“So, 80 grand, no rent — they don’t pay rent for two years,” Brownless said
Thomas: “Then, if you play matches, you get four grand a swing.”
Brownless: “Yeah, four grand a game or something. So, if you draft a player or put him on your list, it’s a big commitment. You know, because you’re paying him, but also what you’re providing and the facilities and everything. It’s a really big commitment.”
Thomas: “They instantly represent your brand of a football club. If you draft up a d---head and then he gets done drink driving, it reflects as much on the club as it reflects on the person.”
Cosentino asked about the drafting process, and what clubs look for in a new recruit.
Brownless replied: “They talk to school teachers and principals ... how good he was at school and what a good kid he is.”
Thomas nodded knowingly, saying recruiters “rang up the teacher that hated me the most.” The teacher, who Thomas named as Miss Deppler, told the club: “Look if you want a student, he’s not for you, but if you want a footballer, he will be brilliant.”
Former Collingwood and Carlton star Thomas copped a one-match suspension over a drinking incident in May last year.
He drank alcohol at a Camp Quality event two days before a game and the leadership group made the call to drop him.
His nominated charity on IAC is Camp Quality.
Brownless’ comments follow revelations he was left homeless after his marriage breakdown.
Billy split from wife Nicky four years ago. She is still in a relationship with his Footy Show mate, Garry Lyon.
“Well, I lost the house, yeah, so I had to get out of the house,” Brownless said on the show.
“And I couldn’t buy one, I didn’t have the money to buy one. So you’re actually like a homeless person. If you wanted to have the kids, you’d get them to a motel.
“(It was) a shocking two or three years. No good.”
Asked about low points in his life, Thomas said it was a relationship split.
MORE NEWS:
HOW A-LISTERS, HIGH ROLLERS LIVE LARGE AT TENNIS
WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK IN BRUNSWICK
NEROLI MEADOWS LANDS ‘BUCKET LIST’ US GIG
“There were times when I’d rock up to training, and sit in the car, and be in tears … then be the court jester to try and hide (his emotions),” Thomas said.
“I was liked for that, but I knew I was being a fraud.”
Brownless said he went through a gamut of emotions following his split. “‘Why me, poor Billy’, all that stuff,” Brownless said.
“I’d walk into a restaurant, and I’d swear everyone was looking at me. They weren’t.
“(But it was) paranoia — ‘That’s him, his missus left him.’ That was tough.”