Six more millionaires as AFL reveals annual player salary for 2024

The average salary of an AFL player climbed again in 2024, headlined by six players promoted up to the elites.

A further six AFL players became millionaires in 2024 as the average player wage increased to nearly half a million dollars.

The AFL released its annual player salary report on Monday, with $493,592 the average figure for players in 2024.

The figure, which was based on only those on the primary list, rose by almost $20,000 from the previous year.

There was an increase in players in each of the over a million categories, most noticeably three more in the $1m to $1.1m bracket.

There are now 10 players earning at least $1.2m per year, a rise from eight the season before.

The 25 players earning more than $900,000 a season last year is a steep rise from four a decade ago.

Continuing the trend from the past two seasons, not a single primary-listed player earnt less than $100,000.

Richmond’s Dustin Martin is believed to be among the AFL’s 25 million-dollar earners in 2024. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

There were 90 players earning less than $100,000 when the 2014 figures were released.

The average income is set to rise again in 2025, with the salary cap exploding from $15.8m to $17.7m.

Melbourne’s Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver, Richmond’s Dustin Martin and Tom Lynch as well as Essendon recruit Ben McKay are suspected to be among the 2024 millionaires.

Western Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli, who is out of contract at the end of 2025, is also suspected to be among highest paid players in the competition.

The release follows reports of enormous contracts offered to Carlton big man Tom De Koning and the anticipated sum headed the way of West Coast Eagles’ No.1 draft pick Harley Reid.