Australian Rules-AFL women secure bumper pay rise in new deal

Melbourne
Women players in the top flight of Australian Rules football will have an average pay increase of 94% as part of a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the league. Minimum salaries in the AFL Women’s (AFLW) competition will increase from A$20,239 ($14,100) to A$39,184 in the coming season, while the best two players at each club will receive A$71,935, up from A$37,155 last season.
Total player payments, including salaries and prizemoney, increase to A$25.6 million from A$10.6 million, a hike of 146%, the Australian Football League (AFL) and players union said on Thursday. This agreement is the first step toward our vision of AFLW players being full-time footballers by 2026, players union boss Paul Marsh said in a statement.
The players are thrilled with this CBA and the outcome speaks to the belief we all have in the future of AFLW. While the hikes are substantial, AFLW salaries are a fraction of those in the men’s competition, which has been underpinned by billion-dollar broadcasting deals for years.
The average male footballer in the AFL will earn about A$390,000 in the current season, while the best players are paid more than A$1 million per season. The new women’s deal covers only the coming AFLW season, which starts on the last weekend in August.