The league announced on Wednesday that revenue increased by $1.4 million over 2008, while the operating surplus rose by $6.5 million.
A total of $135.8 million was distributed to AFL clubs, another record figure, from an overall distributions and grants amount of $182.3 million.
The official financial figures have been forwarded to club presidents in the lead-up to Thursday's AFL annual general meeting.
AFL chairman Mike Fitzpatrick said the AFL had performed exceptionally well despite the world economic downturn.
"The AFL game is in very good health across our clubs, our players and our grassroots organisations across the country, which is a great credit to everyone involved at every level," he said.
The league also announced record membership of AFL clubs of 586,748 compared to 574,091 in 2008; the third best season attendance in the game's history with record finals series attendances; record participation in football of 732,803, a growth of more than 5.7 per cent on the previous year, and record NAB AFL Auskick participation of 169,000 at 2875 centres.
Last season's AFL grand final between Geelong and St Kilda was watched by an average national audience on the Ten Network of 3.848 million people and was the most watched TV program of any kind in Australia.
The AFL said chief executive Andrew Demetriou earned $1.8 million last year, including superannuation and performance bonuses. The 10-person AFL executive was paid salaries and bonuses totalling $5.02 million.
"The executive team, under Andrew Demetriou, has taken the game through a difficult period," Fitzpatrick said.
"During that time it has managed to secure $116 million funding for the Gold Coast stadium funding, renegotiated the MCG and Etihad Stadium contracts, which will see more than $150 million returned to AFL clubs across the life of the contracts. It has also secured a promise of $450 million from the SA Government to redevelop Adelaide Oval.
"Their work has ensured the AFL is not only the leading sport in the country, but one that is committed to growing our game at every level."
Fitzpatrick said the football community should also recognise a number of key achievements in 2009 that would benefit the game and help affirm its long-term strength.
These included the NAB Cup bushfire appeal game between Essendon and the Western Bulldogs that raised $1.2 million for the Black Saturday appeal; new agreements with the Melbourne Cricket Club and Etihad Stadium that would deliver an extra $100,000 per home game for tenant clubs; the SA government's agreement to invest $450 million to redevelop Adelaide Oval as the future home of AFL matches in Adelaide and AFL facility development funding totalling $184 million to assist more than 530 community clubs throughout Australia.
Fitzpatrick said a range of achievements had been achieved for the long-term health of the game in 2009.
"In the face of extremely difficult economic conditions for both families and business, it is a great reward for us to be able to point to increased club membership and participation at all levels of the game, as well as attendances of more than seven million supporters," he said.
