The AFL has added a further $600,000 to the soft cap for clubs across the next two years, bringing the total spend for the 2026 and 2027 seasons to $1.1 million.
Clubs were set to have an additional $250,000 for each of the next two campaigns, with the AFL acting on extensive discussions with clubs, coaches and the Coaches' Association.
The league has also made 20% of the most senior assistant coach or the coaching director's salary at each club sit outside the salary cap.
With a limit up to $100,000, clubs are also able to provide marketing services agreements from club sponsors and partners for their senior coaches outside of the salary cap.
โFooty is core business, it is the reason clubs exist, it is the reason millions of fans engage in the game, and we want to ensure clubs have the flexibility to resource their football programs to achieve their high-performance priorities," AFL CEO Andrew Dillon said in a statement.
โThe Soft Cap is in place to provide some guardrails, such that each club can afford to put together a competitive football program. How clubs choose to allocate and spend it across their football department is at their discretion to suit their specific circumstances.
โCoaches are key leaders who play a pivotal role in our game and at their clubs. This additional soft cap space, earning capacity and support, recognises this importance. The meetings we have had across the year allowed me to see first-hand their passion for the game and pressures associated with being a coach in such a high-profile role.
โWe also recognise the time spent in professional football is at times limited so it was important for the AFL to provide further investment to support coaches develop during their time as an AFL coach and to better prepare them for transition afterwards.
โAdditionally, as part of a commitment to continue to prioritise player health and safety the Soft Cap Healthcare Model remains in place to ensure minimum standards in healthcare resourcing are set across the competition and ensure equitable access to healthcare providers.โ
Soft cap changes summary
- Updated Soft Cap Limit increases for 2026 ($750,000) and 2027 ($350,000)
- 20% of Senior Assistant or Coaching Director salary to sit outside the cap
- Senior Coach marketing service agreements up to $100,000 to sit outside cap
- AFL to invest $500,000 per year into AFL coach support across increased professional development grants and career transition programs.
