AFL 2024: Footy in excellent health as footy player wages set to explode

The AFL has posted a huge $27.7 million profit and the players are set to be rewarded with a massive increase in million-dollar men. Find out who, how and why here.

Football has returned to rude health after returning an exceptional $27.7 million profit as the league broke attendance and membership records.

But the league spent nearly $2 million extra on its executive team in 2023 as the game effectively paid for two chief executives for the 2023 season.

The league informed its chief executives and presidents ahead of the next month’s annual general meeting that the underlying operating surplus was up $7 million from 2022’s $20.7 million figure.

In a year the league announced a new Tasmanian team and brokered a huge pay deal with its players, it spent $89.7million on game development, up from $60.8 million.

The expanded AFLW competition cost $57 to run (up from $45.3 million), while the AFLPA was handed $41.5 million to run its programs for players (up from $27.1 million).

The league again declined to reveal the salary of its chief executive under a policy from chairman Richard Goyder.

The total payments to AFL executives were $13.6 million, up from $11.8 million in 2022.

Club bosses were told that extra $1.8 million was due to a change in executive structure and “transition” costs associated with the change from Gillon McLachlan to Andrew Dillon.

Dillon was appointed as the AFL chief executive-elect on May 1 2023 but McLachlan remained in charge at the behest of Goyder until October 2 2023.

The AFL have netted a healthy profit. Picture: David Crosling

Former AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou told the Herald Sun last year the league should disclose its chief executive’s salary to stop accusations of secrecy.

Demetriou’s final-year salary in 2013 was $3.8 million, which took into account a hefty bonus, while the last publicly available salary for McLachlan was $1.74 million in 2016.

McLachlan stayed on at the request of Goyder and in his last 18 months landed a huge TV rights deal as well as setting attendance records, but it is not known how many bonuses were inserted into his contract.

Demetriou said it would not hurt the league to disclose the chief executive’s salary, with 19 AFL players earning $1 million or more as a comparison in 2023.

“I think it would be helpful if it was disclosed,” Demetriou said last June.

“In my day we were of the view that we should disclose it and it was an obligatory requirement, and for whatever reason the new regime decided not to disclose.

“You’d have to ask the chairman (Richard Goyder) and the CEO why they chose not to. I don’t know what the rationale was, I don’t know why the secrecy. But I didn’t think it hurt to disclose.”

The league handed $393 million to clubs (up from $337 million), while the AFL’s case balance decreased from $178.2 million to $164 million.

That figure balanced the loss of $55 million in payments due to the AFLPA for their share of revenue from 2017-2022, off-set by the $27 million profit and an “improved working capital position of $14 million.

Goyder said the league had regained a position of strength after navigating a way out of its covid challenges.

“The collective effort from our football community, from our clubs, our players, coaches and officials, our committed broadcast and corporate partners and especially our football fans, delivered one of our best and biggest football calendar years on record,” Mr Goyder said.

“The AFL season was nothing short of remarkable, both in the quality of the football played on the ground and in the support of it, and the incredible momentum built through the year culminated in one of the greatest premiership seasons and final series the game has seen.”

MILLION-DOLLAR MEN

Footy’s new rivers of gold saw 19 AFL players paid more than $1m in 2023, with eight taking home more than $1.2m.

And the explosion in player wages in coming seasons could see as many as 50 millionaires each season as the salary cap hits a remarkable $17.7m in 2025.

The AFL on Monday released its 2023 salary breakdown with the new collective bargaining agreement handing players a 10 per cent backdated pay rise for 2023.

It meant the number of footy millionaires per season jumped from 12 in 2022 to 19 in 2023.

This masthead’s rich list last year identified Richmond’s Dustin Martin ($1.25m-$1.35m), Fremantle’s Nat Fyfe ($1.05m-$1.15m) and West Coast’s Jeremy McGovern ($1m-$1.1m) as the highest-paid players in the game.

Carlton's Patrick Cripps is one AFL star already taking home about $1m per season. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Eagles midfielder Tim Kelly took home over $1.1m, with his wage increasing in 2023 as an example of a contract that averages less over the life of the deal, but spikes in specific years to help clubs fit under the salary cap.

Western Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli, Demons stars Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca, Geelong’s Jeremy Cameron and Carlton captain Patrick Cripps are also players taking home around $1 million per season.

Richmond’s Tom Lynch joins Martin as a player who took home more than $1m in 2023, given his seven-year deal worth nearly $7m was heavily back-ended.

In 2023 six players received between $1 million and $1.1 million, five between $1.1 million and $1.2 million and eight more than $1.2 million with the league not clarifying if any players hit $1.3 million.

Fifteen players were paid between $900,000 and $1 million and 29 between $800,000 and $900,000 in 2023.

Every AFL player was paid at least $100,000 for the first time, with total player payments hitting $280 million, up from $257 million in 2022.

Factoring in all total player payment (TPP) rises from 2022 to 2023, the average player wages in the AFL increased 11 per cent, up to $441,464. By 2027, average player wages will be $519,000.

The new pay deal brokered last season will see wages leap another 5.1 per cent in 2024 and 12.6 per cent in 2025.

So, from the start of the 2023 season to the start of the 2025 season, players will secure pay rises of around 27 per cent – rich reward for their integral role in a game breaking records in attendances and revenue as well as TV-rights riches.

Tigers Tom Lynch and Dustin Martin will both paid more than $1 million in 2024. Picture: David Crosling

This season, Lynch, Martin and fellow Tiger star Shai Bolton will all be paid more than $1m, with Martin out of contract but poised to sit down with Richmond on a new deal.

Collingwood captain Darcy Moore and GWS Giants trio Stephen Coniglio, Josh Kelly and Toby Greene are also among the league’s highest-paid players.

Brodie Grundy’s seven-year deal was signed with Collingwood on just under $7m and, while the ruckman has moved to Sydney from Melbourne, the Magpies will continue paying about $250,000 of that wage for the life of the deal.

The TPP will jump from $15,022,778 in 2023 to $15,788,222 this year, then $17,761,999 in 2025, $18.293m in 2026 and $18.44m in 2027.

Players are split an additional $1.267m per club in additional services (marketing) across the life of the new collective bargaining agreement from 2023 to 2027.

In 2022, there were 50 players who were paid $800,000 a season.

Factoring in pay rises of 27 per cent, there will be as many as 50 players who will be paid $1m in 2025, given a trio of pay rises from 2023 to 2025.

Originally published as AFL 2024: Footy in excellent health as footy player wages set to explode