How AFL draftees can boost their paychecks in first three years in the system
Under a new pay deal, 1-3 year players are eligible for a series of performance incentives that could see draftees earn close to $300k in their first season. See the full breakdown here.
Harley Reid could earn nearly $300,000 in his debut season if he takes the competition by storm.
Under the new rules set out as part of new mandatory three-year deals, Reid or any player drafted in the top 10 would be handed a $130,000 base salary and could earn $92,000 if they played all 23 home-and-away games at $4000 per game.
First to third year players would also be eligible for a series of performance incentives — $50,000 for the Brownlow Medal, $40,000 for the club best-and-fairest ($30,000 for a top-three placing) and $30,000 for the All Australian team (or $20,000 for the All Australian squad).
So if Reid, expected to be the No.1 overall draft pick, was All Australian and won his club best-and-fairest he could make an extra $70,000 in incentives which would push his wage to $292,000.
A standout debut season offers a possible bounty in a player’s second season.
Playing over 18 senior matches next year would see $60,000 added to their second-year base payment for 2025.
A players base wage for 2025 would increase by $50,000 for a 2024 Brownlow Medal win, by $40,000 for a club best-and-fairest and $30,000 for the All Australian team.
Theoretically if a first-year player won the Brownlow Medal, Rising Star, club best-and-fairest as an All Australian playing 18 plus games in their first year they would increase their base salary for 2025 by $180,000 to $310,000.
The new scheme means star players who hit the ground running are able to quickly earn massive wages but even top-10 picks have to earn that money in the first three seasons.
Under the deal all top-20 draft picks are locked into mandatory three year contracts and cannot negotiate their second deal until round 6 of their debut season.
All drafted players previously signed mandatory two-year deals but were free to sign early extensions that handed them guaranteed wages of up to $500,000 in their third and fourth seasons.
Now players like Reid will have to earn that cash under a complicated system of bonuses.
While the league’s riches will still be shared between its stars, a rookie wage is $90,000 in 2024, $100,000 in 2025 and $105,000 in 2026 and 2027, with $4000 match payments per senior game.
Mid-season draftees are paid only $50,000 (plus $4000 per match) next year, rising to $58,000 by 2027.
As part of the new deal the AFL will provide $15 million a season to the AFLPA retirement fund.
The league also hands the AFLPA 1000 Grand Final tickets - purchased at “face value”- which the AFLPA can distribute as it sees fit to players and AFLPA stakeholders including past players, AFLPA board members and staff.
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