Nick Watson set for wage boost under AFL’s marketing fund as part of talks on Hawthorn deal
Talks are ramping up over a new deal for Nick Watson at Hawthorn and could be set for a huge boost thanks to the AFL’s marketing fund.
AFL
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Hawthorn has commenced contract discussions with brilliant young second-year player Nick Watson on a deal that could secure him a lucrative six-figure marketing agreement by next year.
As a top-five draft pick Watson is able to negotiate an additional services agreement next year with Hawthorn if he negotiates a new contract past his mandatory three-year deal to 2026.
The excitement machine has already stood up as a 2024 finals hero and shows vast upside as a dangerous small forward who might eventually play midfield time.
Those discussions will progress in the back end of the year and could see Watson adding two or three years to his current deal.
Under new mandatory deals first-round players are restricted to what they can earn in those seasons under a complicated scheme that sees them handed bonuses for awards like the Rising Star and All-Australian.
But each club also has a marketing fund of $1.267 million which it can allocate as it sees fit based on a players’ marketing and commercial appeal.
In past years players could earn as much as they were worth after the initial two-year deal but the AFL has switched to three-year mandatory deals for first-round picks.
Few first-year players have shown such a captivating presence with Hawks fans wearing costumes through the finals series to laud the cult hero with the “Wizard” nickname”.
The AFL has some discretion for players to earn that marketing fund as later picks if they explode by winning the Rising Star or All Australian in their first or second seasons.
But Watson is already a top five pick who reaches that threshold, so could earn several hundred thousands dollars extra in his third season.
The first five players in that draft were Harley Reid, Colby McKercher, Jed Walter, Zane Duursma and Watson.
Watson would have earned $130,000 in base payments in his first year as a top-five pick drafted in 2023, then $70,000 in match payments for 18 games last year.
Those 18 games mean he would have had $60,000 added to his base contract this year, making it $190,000 plus $4000 a game in match payments.
He could add another $110,000 to that $190,000 figure for his 2026 base payment if he plays another 18 or more games — for a $300,000 base in 2026.
But from 2027 onwards, Watson might be worth as much as $800,000 a season if he can continue his upwards progression.
Only a handful of first-round picks from 2023 have signed new deals, including Melbourne’s Caleb Windsor.
The Hawks are still working on deals for ruckman Lloyd Meek, wingman Massimo D’Ambrosio, first-rounder Josh Ward and young key forward Calsher Dear.
Originally published as Nick Watson set for wage boost under AFL’s marketing fund as part of talks on Hawthorn deal
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