THE NUMBER of million-dollar players exploded last year, more than doubling from 2024 to see 58 players paid more than $1 million.
There were 25 players in the elite $1 million bracket of earners in 2024 but with the new Collective Bargaining Agreement kicking in, clubs splashed their cash and 58 players reached seven-figure salaries last season.
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For the first time, there were two players who were paid $1.6 million, with 22 players earning more than $1.2 million, more than double the 10 players in the same pay category in 2024.
The extraordinary number of high earners sees clubs' expectations for an average of three million-dollar players per club by the end of this CBA in 2027 already exceeded, with the view now that within two years every club will have five million-dollar players on average on their list.
The likes of former Dees pair Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver, Collingwood matchwinner Nick Daicos, Sydney guns Isaac Heeney and Errol Gulden, Brisbane's Hugh McCluggage, Port Adelaide duo Zak Butters and Connor Rozee, Bulldogs stars Marcus Bontempelli and Aaron Naughton and Giants pair Lachie Whitfield and Josh Kelly were among the million-dollar players last year.
Richmond's Tom Lynch was one of the highest earners after back-ending his free agency deal when joining the Tigers, with these figures just what a player was paid last year and not the average amount of their contract, meaning clubs could move around their salary cap options.
Of the 58 million-dollar players, the figures provided to clubs showed only one didn't play at all last season, a player in the $1.4-1.6 million pay bracket. That is expected to be St Kilda's spearhead Max King as he battled ongoing knee issues, and came after he signed a massive extension in 2024 which allowed the Saints to front-end his deal.
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In 2025 the average payment for a listed player was $505,961, which was up 10.2 per cent from $459,173 in 2024.
That figure will again rise for the 2026 salaries, as will the top-end paid to players given St Kilda's blockbuster contracts for Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera and Carlton free agent Tom De Koning will kick in this year.
1990-2025 Summary of AFL Listed Player Earnings
| $ | 1990* | 2000* | 2010* | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
| $0-$200,000 | 538 | 456 | 229 | 151 | 136 | 128 | 117 | 107 |
| $200,001-$400,000 | - | 102 | 249 | 238 | 235 | 202 | 207 | 187 |
| $400,001-$600,000 | - | 8 | 54 | 177 | 166 | 171 | 169 | 163 |
| $600,001-$800,000 | - | 2 | 10 | 71 | 71 | 96 | 111 | 94 |
| $800,001-$1,000,000 | - | - | 6 | 13 | 39 | 44 | 39 | 54 |
| $1,000,001-$1,200,000 | - | - | - | 2 | 9 | 11 | 15 | 36 |
| $1,200,001-$1,400,000 | - | - | - | 3 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 16 |
| $1,400,001-$1,600,000 | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 5 | 4 |
| $1,600,001+ | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | 2 |
| TOTAL | 538 | 568 | 548 | 655 | 659 | 660 | 668 | 663 |
* 1990-2010 figures only include players who played a senior game
2010-2025 AFL total player earnings
| Year | Gross player payments ($) |
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 |
| 2022 | 257,574,937 | 406,105 |
| 2023 | 280,862,089 | 441,464 |
| 2024 | 296,300,000 | 459,173 |
| 2025 | 327,652,493 | 505,961 |
* All figures related to Primary Listed Players