Mid-season trading slated for 2024 AFL season in $2bn pay deal

Big pay rises were expected in the new AFL player pay deal, but a new element to player trading could change everything.

Collingwood’s Josh Daicos with AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Incoming AFL boss Andrew Dillon says a mid-season trade period could be introduced as early as next season as part of a historic joint five-year collective bargaining agreement.

The $2bn deal, which is the first agreed between both men’s and women’s players, promises “ongoing discussions” between the AFL and clubs over the trade innovation, while more five-day breaks will be introduced in the men’s competition to increase the number of Thursday night matches.

AFL Players’ Association president Patrick Dangerfield took a dig over the league over its scheduling during the 2023 season but said there was a “strong appetite” among players for more Thursday games.

“I think there’s been opportunities to have more Thursday night games even over this past season, so perhaps they need to look at the fixturing a bit more,” Dangerfield said.

“But clearly there’s a great appetite for it, the game’s in a really healthy shape, and there’s something about starting the weekend earlier on a Thursday night that just feels like the weekend is closer.”

AFLPA president and Geelong captain Patrick Dangerfield welcomes the expected increase in Thursday night games under the new CBA. Picture: Mark Stewart

Each club could receive up to three five-day breaks during the home and away season under the new deal, with Dillon saying it would give the AFL the “flexibility” required to potentially fixture a Thursday night clash every round.

But he would not guarantee the fixture would become a permanent time slot.

“It’s now able to be done from a fixturing perspective, whereas previously we haven’t been able to do that,” Dillon said.

“It’s really important for broadcast, it’s great for the fans, but attendance is really crucial for us as well.”

The successor to outgoing chief executive Gillon McLachlan said a mid-season trade period was “certainly a chance” in 2024.

He said key details still needed to be worked through with clubs and the AFLPA, including whether “parameters” were required to limit player eligibility during the window.

“We will work through it … we’ve had the discussion with the (AFLPA) that in principle, we’re there,” Dillon said.

“There’s certainly a chance that we could have it next year, but we’ll do that work over the next few months.

“All of those things are on the table – it could be open, or we might want to put parameters around (players eligible to be traded).

Incoming AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon says the league is wary of ‘unintended consequences’ from the mid-season trade period’s introduction. Picture: Dylan Burns / Getty Images

“Just to make sure there’s not any unintended consequences … it would be great to provide opportunities, but we just want to make sure we think through all the permutations and combinations that could occur.”

Dillon said the new three-year contracts for the top 20 picks would involve a third year with “regulated payments”, which would take into account performance to ensure players are not paid below their worth after a strong first two seasons.

He said more detail would come from the league on how third-year pay would be determined.

A $40m increase to the AFL’s hardship fund from $20m to $60m over the next five years had not been influenced by looming class actions over concussion, Dillon said.

“This was well in train before any of the litigation was on foot, and that will really be a matter for the players that are part of that litigation,” he said.

By the end of the new pay deal, the average AFL player will earn $519,000, up from $387,000 in 2022, while the average AFLW salary will rise from $46,000 to $82,000.

AFLPA boss Paul Marsh said he was “thrilled” with the result of more than a year of negotiations with the league.

“This CBA presented an opportunity to bring AFL and AFLW players into one joint agreement and we are thrilled to have reached an outcome that enshrines all players as true partners in the game,” he said.

“While the financial aspects of this agreement are vital and we are thrilled at the outcome achieved, this was much more than a pay deal.

“We believed this deal provided an opportunity for the AFL industry to significantly advance the AFLW competition, lead the way in respect to the support provided to past and present players, continue to improve the health and safety of players and work more proactively and collaboratively in areas relating to gender and race. This deal achieves all of these objectives.”

Originally published as Mid-season trading slated for 2024 AFL season in $2bn pay deal