The AFL has informed fans on its Total Player Payments for 2024, with a notable rise in million-dollar earners. There are now 25 players pocketing at least $1 million per season, the most in league history, rising from the previous high mark of 19 in 2023.

The rapid rise in AFL salaries has been extremely visible over the past decade. In 2014, just two players were raking in at least $1 million and none were above the $1.1 million mark. Now, there are 10 players on AFL lists making over $1.2 million, underscoring the swell in pay for the game's elite.

As the AFL's salary cap rises, so does the average player's salary. With AFL clubs granted an extra $800,000 to spend in 2024, increasing the salary cap from $15 million to $15.8 million, the average payment for a listed player was $459,173 - a substantial increase on the 2023 average salary for listed players of $441,464.

For players who featured in at least one AFL game last season, the average salary rose to almost half a million dollars at $493,592. This is also an increase from the 2023 average of $476,215.

The most common pay bracket for AFL players in 2024 was $300,001-400,000, with 100 footballers earning somewhere between those two figures and featuring in the AFL side at least once. An additional 104 players earned between $200,001-300,000, but only 93 of these players played in at least one senior game in 2024.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MAY 12: Dustin Martin of the Tigers celebrates a goal during the 2023 AFL Round 09 match between the Richmond Tigers and the Geelong Cats at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on May 12, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

However, it should be noted there is a far greater spread in pay than ever in the AFL. In 2014, 65.6% of players earned between $100,001-400,000, but in 2024, only 48.5% of players fell into that pay category.

The AFL's financial growth will undoubtedly continue with accelerating attendance numbers since the end of the pandemic and a $643 million per season broadcasting rights deal beginning this year, meaning fans should expect several more additions to the million-dollar club before the current Collective Bargaining Agreement ends in 2027.

AFL.com.au reports that Melbourne's Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver are believed to be in the upper echelon of earnings in 2024, along with Richmond's Tom Lynch and the retired Dustin Martin. Emerging legends of the game, such as the Western Bulldogs' Marcus Bontempelli, Carlton's Patrick Cripps and Sydney's Isaac Heeney are also suspected to be high-ranking.

Port Adelaide captain Connor Rozee allegedly joins young gun teammate Zak Butters as a top breadwinner, while Gold Coast's Ben King is believed to be one of the key forwards in the higher rungs. Essendon's big free agency scalp of 2023, Ben McKay, is thought to also be in this group with his contract heavier on the front end.

Earnings 2020 2021 2021 2022 2022 2023 2023 2024 2024
Listed Played Listed Played Listed Played Listed Played Listed
$0 - $60,000 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0
$60,001 - $100,000 113 4 18 0 10 0 0 0 0
$100,001 - $200,000 189 93 132 83 125 64 128 58 117
$200,001 - $300,000 142 106 119 115 126 97 106 93 104
$300,001 - $400,000 131 116 119 106 109 93 96 100 103
$400,001 - $500,000 60 106 111 89 95 89 91 89 94
$500,001 - $600,000 40 66 66 69 71 76 80 74 75
$600,001 - $700,000 13 42 46 37 39 53 54 53 53
$700,001 - $800,000 4 24 25 32 32 41 42 57 58
$800,001 - $900,000 2 10 10 24 24 28 29 18 20
$900,001 - $1,000,000 2 3 3 15 15 15 15 19 19
$1,000,001 - $1,100,000 1 1 1 6 6 6 6 9 9
$1,100,001 - $1,200,000 1 1 1 3 3 5 5 6 6
$1,200,001 + 0 3 3 3 3 8 8 10 10
TOTAL 698 575 655 582 659 575 660 586 668