A record nine players earned more than $1 million dollars last season, as the league saw the rich get richer thanks to a new collecting bargaining agreement.
With the record previously set at eight thanks to the additional salary cap space initially offered to expansion clubs, the nine players are up from six players last year. With the AFL releasing their official salary and TPP figures for 2017 on Thursday, the AFL revealed that two players earned above 1.2 million.
Lance Franklin is believed to be the highest paid player in the competition, with Tom Boyd, Scott Pendlebury, Nat Fyfe, Gary Ablett and Tom Lynch said to have earned over $1 million in 2017.
It is likely however, that some players average salary is less than $1 million dollars, but their contract was heavily back, or front loaded. Sources from AFL.com.au believe that Dayne Beams and Michael Hurley are players that could fall into this predicament.
Trent Cotchin and Dion Prestia are also believed to be a part of the top earners in 2017, with Dustin Martin more likely to feature in the seven figure category when his new contract kicks in this season.
Todd Goldstien, Jeremy Cameron, Taylor Walker and Cale Hooker are rumoured to have just fallen short of the millionaire club.
| $ | 1990* | 2000* | 2010* | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 |
| 0-100k | 530 | 219 | 76 | 145 | 141 | 118 | 92 | 66 | 70 | 39 |
| 101-200k | 8 | 237 | 153 | 186 | 199 | 213 | 198 | 188 | 185 | 152 |
| 201-300k | - | 80 | 158 | 166 | 170 | 156 | 147 | 153 | 131 | 140 |
| 301-400k | - | 22 | 91 | 94 | 104 | 115 | 128 | 131 | 148 | 148 |
| 401-500k | - | 8 | 45 | 53 | 60 | 64 | 76 | 85 | 89 | 89 |
| 501-600k | - | - | 9 | 17 | 25 | 22 | 32 | 44 | 40 | 53 |
| 601-700k | - | 2 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 19 | 26 | 21 | 23 | 34 |
| 701-800k | - | - | 2 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 10 | 21 | 18 | 23 |
| 801-900k | - | - | 2 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 5 |
| 901-1m | - | - | 4 | 1 | 1 | - | 2 | 2 | 3 | 11 |
| 1m+ | - | - | - | 1 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 9 |
(Source: AFL.com.au - *1990-2010 figures only include players who played a senior game)
Eleven players earned between $900,000 and $1 million last season, with one of those 11 failing to play a game - widely believed to be Nic Naitanui.
With the salary cap rising 20 percent, the AFL saw much of that increase be absorbed by the competitions elite. The number of players earning over $800,000 more than doubled, to 29, while 139 senior-listed players earned more than $500,000.
Players earning $100,000 or less fell to just 38 and those earning $200,000 or less fell by to just 191.
