AFL executives pocket $10.73m in wages and bonuses

The average AFL player wage continues to lag behind what the AFL’s 12-person executive team took home in 2018 but Gillon McLachlan’s pay packet remains a secret. Find out how much they pocketed.

Gillon McLachlan and Steve Hocking and the AFL executive shared in $10.73 million in wages and bonuses. Picture: Picture: AAP

The AFL’s 12-person executive team took home more than $10.73 million in wages last year, including $3.56m in bonuses.

The cash bonanza for the game’s top brass equates to an average annual salary package of $894,000.

But the size of chief executive Gillon McLachlan’s pay packet remains a secret because of a protocol change enforced by AFL commission chairman Richard Goyder.

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McLachlan’s wage was last publicly declared at $1.74 million two years ago.

Documents filed with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission reveal AFL staff were paid a combined $107.4m last year — up from $102.1m — but a headcount of workers at AFL House in the Docklands was not disclosed.

While crowd and membership numbers were up in 2018, the league endured a challenging season marred by declining TV ratings, the continued failure of the Gold Coast Suns, a finals ticketing meltdown, sudden staff departures and an au pair scandal that embroiled McLachlan in a senate inquiry.

The league recorded a $25.9m profit — down from $60m, a decrease it attributed to costs associated with the early buyout of Marvel Stadium.

AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan’s pay packet is a secret. Picture: AAP

Distributions to the 18 AFL clubs totalled $307m (but were not detailed on a per club basis), while the AFL Players’ Association received $36m in funding.

AFL revenues topped $778m — up from $752m, including $391m in broadcasting cash and $273m in commercial arrangements.

As a not-for-profit organisation, the AFL does not pay company tax.

The league’s official accounts reveal the State Government has already paid the AFL $10m of a promised $225m for the redevelopment of Marvel Stadium, which is being kept in a “separate interest bearing account”.

The AFL said it made another $8.1m from the sale of the AFL Record and other publications to Craig Hutchison’s company, Crocmedia.

Members of the AFL executive include football boss Steve Hocking, general counsel Andrew Dillon, finance officer Travis Auld, strategist Walter Lee, inclusion and social policy general manager Tanya Hosch, major projects chief Ray Gunston, commercial boss Kylie Rogers, digital GM Darren Birch and human resources boss Sarah Fair.

Corporate affairs GM Elizabeth Lukin resigned from the executive last year and has not been replaced.

The average wage for an AFL player last season was $375,000.