Recently The Herald Sun published it In its annual review of AFL player salaries and contracts. Revealing who the highest-paid men’s players of 2023 are.
Overall there are 800 professional male players in the game right now, and below is a list of the 20 players who got paid the most in that year.
(All figures are listed in Australian Dollars)
1. Lance Franklin – $1.5 Million
When it comes to AFL players Lance Franklin is box office and regularly shows he is worth the ticket price alone. Despite being drafted all the way back in 2005, he remains a champion player after all these years, scoring 51 goals in 18 games in 2021. An eight-time All-Australian, ‘Buddy’ as he is affectionately known, has had his injury problems, but the champion warrior still proved why it was worth paying him the big bucks.
Salary: $1.5 Million
Team: Sydney Swans
Born: 30 January 1987
Height: 1.99 m
Weight: 106 kg
Number: 23
Draft: No. 5, 2004 national draft
Position: Key Forward
Debut: Round 1, 2005, (for) Hawthorn vs. Sydney, at the SCG
2. Jeremy McGovern – $1.2 – $1.25 million
The imposing West Coast Eagles defender earned himself a tidy $1.25 million during the 2021 season. Currently contracted to 2024, the man with the golden hands is in the middle of a six year deal. Forming an outstanding defensive partnership with full-back Tom Barrass, McGovern is one of the game’s best intercept-marking defenders. So you should expect to see him feature on the AFL Player’s best paid list for a few more years to come.
Salary: $1.2 – $1.25 million
Team: West Coast Eagles
Born: 15 April 1992
Height: 1.9 m
Weight: 96 kg
Number: 20
Draft: No. 44, 2011 Rookie Draft
Position: Key Defender
Debut: Round 6, 2014, West Coast Eagles v Carlton, at Etihad Stadium.
3. Dustin Martin – $1.2 – $1.25 million
Many people believe Dustin Martin is the best player in the game right now and a major driving force behind why Richmond has been a strong team over the last decade. A three-time Norm Smith Medal winner, his salary of $1.25 million a year, puts him third on this list. Although 2021 was a tough season for him with injury, he still performed admirably, until it cut his season short. Expect to see him back to his best this year
Salary: $1.2 – $1.25 million
Team: Richmond Tigers
Born: 26 June 1991
Height: 1.87 m
Weight: 92 kg
Number: 4
Draft: No. 3, 2009 national draft
Position: Midfield/Forward
Debut: Round 1, 2010, Richmond vs Carlton, at the MCG
4. Nat Fyfe – $1,075,000 – $1.1 million
With two Brownlows under his belt and possibly the game’s best set of guns, Nat Fyfe is a champion of the game. Currently, on a six-year deal with Fremantle that runs out in 2023, his current salary is $1.1 million a year. Crucially, his salary is not thought to be back-ended. So the Dockers should be able to afford his services for years to come.
Salary: $1,075,000 – $1.1 million
Team: Fremantle Dockers
Born: 18 September 1991
Height: 1.9 m
Weight: 88 kg
Number: 7
Draft: No. 20, 2009 national draft
Position: Midfield/Forward
Debut: Round 5, 2010, Fremantle vs Richmond, at Subiaco Oval
5. Brodie Grundy – $925,000 – $975,000
Presently, in the middle of a seven-year deal, Brodie Grundy has rewarded the Magpies faith with some stellar performances for the club in recent times. Last year was his 9th season with Collingwood and saw him kick a career-best 12 goals in one season. For a ruckman, he is also very good at winning the ball and making tackles, which has led teammates to call him their ‘fourth midfielder’.
Salary: $925,000 – $975,000
Team: Collingwood Magpies
Born: 15 April 1994
Height: 2.02 m
Weight: 108 kg (238 lb)
Number: 4
Draft: No. 18, 2012 AFL Draft, Collingwood
Position: Ruckman
Debut: Round 18, 2013, Collingwood vs Greater Western Sydney, at MCG
6. Patrick Dangerfield – $900,000 – $950,000
Considering Patrick Dangerfield is one of the game’s pre-eminent players, the fact that he earns under a million dollars a year will surprise some people. On the ageing side, he is a pivotal figure, and while he didn’t have anywhere near his best season in terms of goals, he still had a decent year for the Cats overall.
Salary: $900,000 – $950,000
Team: Geelong Cats
Born: 5 April 1990
Height: 1.89 m
Weight: 91 kg
Number: 35
Draft: No. 10, 2007 national draft
Position: Midfield/Forward
Debut: Round 20, 2008, Adelaide vs Essendon, at Telstra Dome
7. Patrick Cripps – $900,000 – $950,000
A dual All-Australian, as well as a thrice John Nicholls Medallist, Patrick Cripps has been a standout player for the Blues since his debut in 2014. Now their sole captain, big things are expected at Carlton within the next couple of years. Although he has had his fair share of injury problems over the last couple of years. If he can steer clear of that, he should appear on this list for a couple more seasons at the very least.
Salary: $900,000 – $950,000
Team: Carlton Blues
Born: 18 March 1995
Height: 1.95 m
Weight: 93 kg
Number: 9
Draft: No. 13, 2013 national draft
Position: Midfielder
Debut: Round 5, 2014, Carlton; vs. Melbourne, at the MCG
8. Stephen Coniglio – $900,000 – $950,000
Rejecting massive offers from both Carlton and Hawthorn, Stephen Coniglio signed a mega seven-year deal with GWS back in 2019, which is why he appears on this list. Although he has been an infrequent member of the side due to form and injury issues in the last couple of years, the captain has shown flashes of brilliance when he has played.
Salary: $900,000 – $950,000
Team: Greater Western Sydney
Born: 15 December 1993
Height: 1.82 m
Weight: 87 kg
Number: 3
Draft: No. 2, 2011 National Draft, Greater Western Sydney
Position(s): Midfielder
Debut: Round 1, 2012, GWS v Sydney Swans, at ANZ Stadium
9. Marcus Bontempelli – $900,000 – $950,000
While Marcus Bontempelli fell just short of winning his first Brownlow and ending up on the losing side in the 2021 AFL Grand Final, his stock in the game remains sky high. As captain of the Bulldogs, he has just signed a new contract and whilst he will be hoping to secure at least one of those honours this season, he rest assured that he will remain among the game’s highest paid players for a few years yet.
Salary: $900,000 – $950,000
Team: Western Bulldogs
Born: 24 November 1995
Height: 1.92 m
Weight: 93 kg
Number: 4
Draft: No. 4, 2013 national draft
Position: Midfield/Forward
Debut: Round 5, 2014, Western Bulldogs vs Carlton, at Etihad Stadium
10. Jeremy Cameron – $850,000 – $900,000
In 2020 Jeremy Cameron had a back-ended deal with Greater Western Sydney which resulted in him being the highest paid of all players in the AFL. Now that he has moved to the Cats, the dynamic key forward has had a bit of a drop in salary, although he still remains in the top 10.
Salary: $850,000 – $900,000
Team: Geelong Cats
Born: 1 April 1993
Height: 1.96 m
Weight: 96 kg
Number: 5
Draft: 2010 GWS under-age selection
Position(s): Key Forward
Debut: Round 1, 2012, (for) GWS vs. Sydney, at ANZ Stadium
11. Adam Treloar – $850,000 – $900,000
Like Marcus Bontempelli, Adam Treloar ended up on the losing side in the AFL Grand Final in 2021. However, the midfield superstar can at least console himself with the knowledge that he should remain on this list for a while. According to The Herald Sun, Treloar has a complex salary which is made up of several components. One of which sees Collingwood fork out an average of about $300k per year, for the entirety of his 5 year contract with the Bulldogs.
Salary: $850,000 – $900,000
Team: Western Bulldogs
Born: 9 March 1993
Height: 1.81 m
Weight: 89 kg (196 lb)
Number: 1
Draft: 2010 GWS under-age selection
Position(s): Midfielder
Debut: Round 3, 2012, (For) GWS vs. West Coast, at Blacktown International Sportspark
12. Rory Sloane – $825,000 – $875,000
Since his Adelaide debut in 2009, Rory Sloane has steadily become a club legend for the Crows. In 2018 he signed a five year contract which ensured he stayed on this list. Now 32 years old, the All-Australian and dual Malcolm Blight Medallist might not have too many years left in the game, but as current captain, he is still the heartbeat of the side.
Salary: $825,000-$875,000
Team: Adelaide Crows
Born: 17 March 1990
Height: 1.83 m
Weight: 82 kg
Number: 9
Draft: No. 44, 2008 national draft
Position: Midfielder
Debut: Round 20, 2009, Adelaide vs. Hawthorn, at the MCG
13. Isaac Heeney – $825,000 – $875,000
In the last couple of years, Isaac Heeney has emerged as a force to be reckoned with. Along with Buddy Franklin, he forms part of a formidable forward line for Sydney, which is reflected in his pay packet. At 26 years old, this exciting Maitland born Swannie will surely command an even higher salary in the next few years. Particularly once Buddy finally hangs up his boots.
Salary: $825,000 – $875,000
Team: Sydney Swans
Born: 5 May 1996
Height: 1.84 m
Weight: 85 kg
Number: 5
Draft: No. 18, 2014 national draft
Position: Forward
Debut: Round 1, 2015, Sydney Swans v Essendon at ANZ Stadium
14. Christian Petracca – $800,000 – $850,000
Few would disagree that Christian Petracca is one of the game’s most exciting talents. After a couple of good seasons with Melbourne, the Demons recently locked him into a bumper seven year contract. They won the AFL Grand Final convincingly in 2021, and with the level of dynamism and versatility, he brings to the team, who is to say they won’t repeat in 2022?
Salary: $800,000 – $850,000
Team: Melbourne Demons
Born: 4 January 1996
Height: 1.86 m
Weight: 97 kg (214 lb)
Number: 5
Draft: No. 2, 2014 national draft
Position: Midfield/Forward
Debut: Round 6, 2016, Melbourne vs. St Kilda, at Etihad Stadium
15. Lachie Whitfield – $800,000-$850,000
Having signed a contract until the end of the 2027 season it is likely that Lachie Whitfield will remain at GWS for the rest of his career. Whether he will win a Premiership in that time is up for debate. But his commitment to the Giants will at least give him a good chance of retaining his place on this list in years to come.
Salary: $800,000 – $850,000
Team: Greater Western Sydney
Born: 18 July 1994 (age 27 years)
Height: 1.87 m
Weight: 74 kg
Number: 6
Draft: No. 1, 2012 national draft
Position: Half-back / Midfielder
Debut: Round 1, 2013, GWS v Sydney Swans, at Stadium Australia
16. Toby Greene – $800,000 – $850,000
Like Lachie Whitfield, Toby Greene has a long contract with GWS, which is due to expire in 2026. Arguably the Giants’ most influential player, the All-Australian went a significant way towards repaying some of his sizeable salary, with 45 goals in the 2021 season.
Salary: $800,000 – $850,000
Team: Greater Western Sydney
Born: 25 September 1993
Height: 1.81 m
Weight: 84 kg
Number: 4
Draft: No. 11, 2011 national draft
Position: Forward
Debut: Round 1, 2012, GWS vs. Sydney Swans, at Stadium Australia
17. Josh Kelly – $800,000 – $850,000
Yet another Giant with a huge contract, Josh Kelly currently has an eight year deal. So like Lachie Whitfield, the star midfielder could well be at GWS for the remainder of his career. His performances were a key factor in the team reaching their first ever AFL Grand Final in 2019. With his future secure with them, the club will certainly be hoping for a quick return.
Salary: $800,000 – $850,000
Team: Greater Western Sydney
Born: 12 February 1995
Height: 1.83 m
Weight: 83 kg
Number: 22
Draft: No. 2, 2013 national draft
Position: Midfielder
Debut: Round 1, 2014, GWS v Sydney Swans at Sydney Showground
18. Max Gawn – $800,000 – $850,000
The fact that Max Gawn was the 2021 All-Australian captain is reason enough to pay him a suitable salary that will see him feature on this list. Currently, on a four-year contract with the Demons, this man mountain of a ruckman is part of a sensational midfield core which will give Melbourne every chance of repeating their 2021 AFL Grand Final Success.
Salary: $800,000 – $850,000
Team: Melbourne Demons
Born: 30 December 1991
Height: 2.08 m
Weight: 108 kg
Number: 11
Draft: No. 34, 2009 national draft
Position: Ruck
Debut: Round 11, 2011, Melbourne; vs. Essendon, at MCG
19. Brad Hill – $800,000 – $850,000
Having recently joined from Fremantle, Bradley Hill is a real statement of intent for St Kilda. Whether this translates to success in terms of trophies remains to be seen. After all, an outside player can only make an impact if his midfield teammates can get him the ball. But at least they have a champion player on their team who should lift their performance levels.
Salary: $800,000 – $850,000
Team: St Kilda Saints
Born: 9 July 1993
Height: 1.79 m
Weight: 78 kg (172 lb)
Number: 8
Draft: No. 33, 2011 national draft
Position(s): Midfielder
Debut: Round 4, 2012, Hawthorn vs West Coast, at Subiaco Oval
20. Joe Daniher – $800,000 – $850,000
While it was widely tipped that Joe Daniher would join the Sydney Swans, he ended up signing a lucrative contract for the Brisbane Lions. With the All Australian forward reputed to be earning upwards of $800k per season, this could well be the impetus they need to push for Grand Final Success.
Salary: $800,000 – $850,000
Team: Brisbane Lions
Born: 4 March 1994
Height: 2.01 m
Weight: 99 kg (218 lb)
Number: 3
Draft: No. 10 (F/S), 2012 national draft
Position: Key Forward
Debut: Round 11, 2013, Essendon vs Carlton, at the MCG
Average AFL Salary
So there you have it, a list of the top 20 highest paid men’s AFL players in 2021.
But what about everyone else? Apparently, COVID-19 cutbacks saw the total player salaries from the AFL drop from $242 million to around $170 million.
This meant that during the 2021 season, the average wage for a listed AFL player was around $260k per year, which is a significant drop from the circa $365k it used to be.
However, now that lockdown/restrictions have lifted, and crowds are returning to games, it seems highly probable that this figure will rise back to what they were pre-COVID.