Code Sports survey: AFL player agents reveal best and worst clubs to do business with
In a sweeping survey answered by some of footy’s biggest power players, the AFL’s toughest club to do business with has been named as well as who will be the league’s first $2 million man.
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St Kilda has been named as the most difficult club to deal with by player managers surveyed in an exclusive Code Sports investigation into the biggest issues facing the game’s deal makers.
In a sweeping anonymous survey open to all AFL player agents, 29.4 per cent labelled the Saints the hardest club to do business with.
Port Adelaide was not far behind, collecting 17.6 per cent of the votes, while Collingwood and Essendon both received 11.8 per cent.
Geelong has a strong reputation in footy circles for its recruiting and player retainment and the Cats were rated the “best club” to deal with, receiving 23.5 per cent of the votes in the survey.
Richmond was also highly regarded with 17.6 per cent, with Gold Coast, Collingwood, Fremantle and Carlton all polling 11.8 per cent each.
Geelong has leveraged a country and coastal lifestyle with a seemingly always-open premiership window and have embedded salary rules that can make negotiations simple.
One agent’s survey response was that the most difficult part of negotiating with teams across the league was their respective list management philosophies.
“Generally it (the most difficult aspect) will be around the value of a player,” they responded.
“Some clubs have a structured system (there’s a ‘maximum’ a player can earn) to spread the cap and hold a list together.
“Then you have some who heavily weight the cap towards a top few, leaving the rest of the playing list on a moderate wage.
“If the player you are looking to trade isn’t one of the top few, the financial offer can vary a lot, as does the list managers’ ‘ethos’ on the list management.
“If you want to ask for more than what’s on offer, you need evidence to get what you want in the negotiation.”
Other responses about the difficulties of negotiations included “clubs becoming too emotional”, “lack of communication and transparency” and “attempts for clubs to deal directly with a player” as sticking points with clubs.
While Tom De Koning is mulling over the biggest contract offer the AFL has seen at $1.7 million per season at St Kilda, the agents say money is usually not the biggest factor in a player seeking a fresh start.
Instead, player role and opportunity received 52.9 per cent of the vote, ahead of 23.5 per cent that are incentivised by the money.
Last off-season alone, Caleb Daniel, Jack Macrae, Matt Kennedy, Tim Membrey and John Noble all moved to new clubs for greater selection security.
Team culture also polled strongly, landing 11.8 per cent, while the possibility of playing in a premiership only received 5.9 per cent of the vote.
The agents backed the salary cap as an equalisation tactic, with 88.2 per cent declaring it works in promoting parity in the AFL.
While the managers want a mid-season trade period (82.4 per cent in favour), they did not want a change to the rules to allow players to be traded without their permission (76.5 per cent against).
There was mixed support from agents towards a player movement window to help facilitate communication between players and clubs during a season to help avoid an Oscar Allen-like scenario where the Eagles captain apologised for meeting with Hawks coach Sam Mitchell.
“A Player Movement window would be advantageous,” one agent said.
“No, it’s fine as it is. Too much regulation and control is not good. The market levels itself,” another said.
While one player manager said it was already happening.
“The rules say a rival club can’t speak to a player until post season but that’s not at all feasible,” they said.
“I had a coach publicly come out in the media a few years ago talking about how it wasn’t appropriate to speak to rival players … which at exactly the same time, he had his captain messaging one of my players to try and recruit him to their club!”
MANAGERS REVEAL WHO WILL BE THE FIRST $2M MAN
Western Bulldogs goalkicker Sam Darcy will be the AFL’s first $2m man, according to the agents who broker footy’s contracts.
The giant Bulldogs forward was picked out by more than 30 per cent of player managers who took part in an anonymous Code Sports survey, when asked who would be the AFL’s first player to earn $2m in a season.
But Darcy’s big payday may need to wait, given the father-son gun signed a contract late last year that locks him in at the Dogs until the end of 2029.
One agent said they “haven’t seen a player like him before” while another described Darcy as a “freak tall”.
Other players mentioned by agents to take home the monster pay packet were West Coast bull Harley Reid and Collingwood superstar Nick Daicos.
One manager listed Melbourne’s Kysaiah Pickett, who only recently signed a seven-year extension with about $12m, opening the door for one high paying year to tip him over the $2m mark.
Pay can differ in each year of contracts as clubs front or back-end money to suit the salary cap.
Adelaide’s Izak Rankine also polled, as did his former forward-line teammate in Gold Coast’s Ben King.
Reid has been tipped for a monster contract boost when he signs his next deal, whether that is signed for the Eagles or a Victorian side.
But his value was mixed according to agents.
When asked what he would be worth on the open market, Reid received a range os responses varying from as low as $450,000 a season to $800,000 and even $1.5m.
“Right now (he is worth) $900k. You are paying for potential,” one manager said.
Daicos had the highest average salary among the three players asked about, with an average of $1.48m, ahead of Darcy ($1.28).
Managers also pushed for an increase to the minimum wage for AFL players, with every agent voting for an uptick in contract pricepoints.
The base first-year contract for top-10 picks in 2025 sat around $140,000, with a steady decline throughout the draft.
Outside of the top 50 picks, the first-year wage dropped to $115,000, but every draftee would get standardised match payments of $4000 per game.
Rookie draft picks have a base salary between $85,000 and $105,000, but also receive the same match payment fee.
Every response in the survey pushed for an increase in the minimum wage, with 70.6 per cent of responses wanting between $150,000-250,000 as the base salary.
The final 29.4 per cent said the wages should start at $250,000 and grow from there.
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Originally published as Code Sports survey: AFL player agents reveal best and worst clubs to do business with
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