Carlton forward Jack Martin has been revealed as the competitions highest paid player in 2020 after signing a heavily front-ended deal to join the Blues this season, per SEN's Craig Hutchison.
Martin, who signed a five-year deal with the club, was set to earn close to $2 million in 2020 before the AFLPA agreed to a 50 per cent pay cut due to the financial strains of COVID-19.
Despite the major salary reduction, Hutchison revealed the ex-Gold Coast speedster sits atop the AFL's wage list for this season.
โHereโs a trivia question for you: Whoโs the number one paid player in the AFL this year?โ Hutchison asked Damian Barrett onย The Sounding Board.
Barrett: โIt would be a race between, in the weird way contracts are structured, the two Martins, Jack and Dusty.โ
Hutchison: โYeah, Jackโs number one.
โHis contract is almost two million bucks this year, pre pay cut.โ
Barrett: โAnd thatโs unfortunate for him because heโs taken that deal as a way to assist the club as much as himself to smooth his total number out over a number of years and this is the year where itโs going to be cut in half.โ
Hutchison: โI donโt think that will work for him. My understanding is heโs being paid more this year than the next four years put together.
โThatโs an extraordinary contract isnโt it?โ
Barrett: โThe way it stands on 2020 books, heโs going to lose half that number.โ
Hutchison: โI donโt think thatโs going to play for him. I think there will be a discussion around how to restructure that.โ
Martin has been a live wire for the Blues this season as the club sits 3-3 heading into round seven.
