AFL PLAYER wages for the 2021 season increased 38 per cent on the COVID-19-ravaged 2020 year, with the average salary for a listed player rising to $372,224.
Three players received more than $1.2 million last year. Six earned more than $1 million.
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The three players on more than $1.2 million in 2021 were believed to be Dustin Martin, Lance Franklin and Jeremy McGovern, with Nat Fyfe and Brodie Grundy understood to be on more than $1 million. Others believed to have earned around the seven-figure mark were Josh Kelly, Jeremy Cameron, Patrick Dangerfield and Patrick Cripps.
Last year's Norm Smith medallist Christian Petracca and Tiger forward Tom Lynch have deals which will could see them join the million-dollar-a-season club in 2022.
The total player payments across the 18 clubs were $233.9 million, a 37.5 per cent increase on the COVID-19-hit 2020 season, which saw players paid $170.0 million as the League grappled to contain the financial damage caused by the pandemic.
The 2020 total player payments were 30 per cent down on the 2019 figure of $242.3 million, which remains the high-water mark for player remuneration. The 2021 figure of $233.9 million presents similarly to the 2017 season, when players were paid a total of $231.3 million.
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And in 2017, there were nine million-dollar footballers compared with the six of 2021.
Remarkably, there were more players earning $1.2 million or more in 2012 (four) than there were in 2021 (three).
1990-2021 Summary of AFL Player Earnings
$ | 1990* | 2000* | 2010* | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
$0-$60,000 | 442 | 87 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
$60,001-$100,000 | 88 | 132 | 67 | 38 | 24 | 31 | 113 | 18 |
$100,001-$200,000 | 8 | 237 | 153 | 152 | 159 | 166 | 189 | 133 |
$200,001-$300,000 | - | 80 | 158 | 140 | 136 | 124 | 142 | 119 |
$300,001-$400,000 | - | 22 | 91 | 148 | 145 | 123 | 131 | 117 |
$400,001-$500,000 | - | 8 | 45 | 89 | 88 | 107 | 60 | 109 |
$500,001-$600,000 | - | - | 9 | 53 | 49 | 48 | 40 | 68 |
$600,001-$700,000 | - | 2 | 8 | 34 | 46 | 42 | 13 | 46 |
$700,001-$800,000 | - | - | 2 | 23 | 24 | 29 | 4 | 24 |
$800,001-$900,000 | - | - | 2 | 9 | 15 | 16 | 2 | 11 |
$900,001-$1,000,000 | - | - | 4 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 3 |
$1,000,001-$1,100,000 | - | - | - | 4 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2 |
$1,100,001-$1,200,000 | - | - | - | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
$1,200,001+ | - | - | - | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
TOTAL | 538 | 568 | 548 | 707 | 703 | 702 | 698 | 655 |
* 1990-2010 figures only include players who played a senior game
2010-2021 AFL total player earnings
Year | Gross player payments ($) | Average gross earnings ($) |
2010 | 136,698,418 | 226,165 |
2011 | 153,699,344 | 237,388 |
2012 | 173,717,042 | 251,559 |
2013 | 181,560,623 | 265,179 |
2014 | 188,944,174 | 283,029 |
2015 | 200,199,169 | 302,104 |
2016 | 204,305,032 | 309,208 |
2017 | 231,354,739 | 352,470 |
2018 | 240,417,657 | 362,471 |
2019 | 242,345,042 | 363,430 |
2020 | 170,043,949 | 259,651 |
2021 | 233,853,380 | 372,224 |
All figures related to Primary Listed Players