The AFL's highest paid players

[BulldogBelle]

We have Johnno on the list....

The AFL's highest paid players
The Herald Sun
Mark Robinson | March 17, 2009



THE 28 biggest earners in the AFL.

$1 million plus

Chris Judd (Carlton)

Jonathan Brown (Brisbane)


$700,000-800,000

Nick Riewoldt (St Kilda)

Matthew Pavlich (Fremantle)

Barry Hall (Sydney)

Matthew Richardson (Richmond)

Matthew Lloyd (Essendon)


$600,000-700,000

Simon Black (Brisbane)

Daniel Kerr (West Coast)

Chad Cornes (Port Adelaide)


$500,000-600,000

Brent Harvey (North Melbourne)

Brad Johnson (Western Bulldogs)

Brendan Fevola (Carlton)

Nick Stevens (Carlton)

Matthew Scarlett (Geelong)

Gary Ablett (Geelong)

Luke Hodge (Hawthorn)

Sam Mitchell (Hawthorn)

Luke Power (Brisbane)

Anthony Rocca (Collingwood)

Nathan Brown (Richmond)

Adam Goodes (Sydney)

Aaron Sandilands (Fremantle)

Dean Cox (West Coast)

Peter Bell (Fremantle)

Scott Lucas (Essendon)

Andrew McLeod (Adelaide)

Luke Ball (St Kilda)


* This is an estimation of 2008 salaries gathered from discussions with football industry officials.

* Earnings are calculated from football salaries and ASA (Additional Services Agreement


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[LostDoggy]

If Judd and Brown are on a mill each, how it is possible the rest of the team fit under the cap? What is it $4.2Million? Brisbane and Carlton have other stars they need to pay. Even worse for considering for Brisbane Black is on $700K and Power on $500K and Carlton have Fev and Stevens on $500K.

This comp is a joke.

[Desipura]

No wonder Rocca wanted to play this year, 500 - 600k! Richmond have not seen the best of Brown since his knee injury he also is on 500-600k.
Hall/LLoyd 700-800K, thats ridiculous

[GVGjr]

These are obviously estimates but some of the figures mentioned aren't sustainable.

If you take Carlton figures as being in anyway accurate they will also have Murphy and Gibbs contracts to deal with as well in the next year or two and Kruzer will take some slice of the pie as well.

[LostDoggy]

These are obviously estimates but some of the figures mentioned aren't sustainable.

If you take Carlton figures as being in anyway accurate they will also have Murphy and Gibbs contracts to deal with as well in the next year or two and Kruzer will take some slice of the pie as well.

Not sure why they would print them if they don't believe they are close to the mark.
Doesn't take a brain surgeon to see the figure don't add up and smell a rat.
The AFL are in denial again.

[LostDoggy]

I don't have a problem with these amounts at all...these blokes put on the show and should be paid a large percentage of any money that is generated by the game....how clubs deal with the salary cap is for them alone to workout!! AFL generates a huge amount of money and I think it's time that the players where paid accordingly! Some Australian soccer players make more than most of these players playing in the A League!! Of course they are sustainable...if there is a large drop off in crowd or membership numbers then maybe we could run that arguement...but that doesn't seem to be the case.

[GVGjr]

Not sure why they would print them if they don't believe they are close to the mark.
Doesn't take a brain surgeon to see the figure don't add up and smell a rat.
The AFL are in denial again.

I suppose what I am saying is that they are just estimates and they could all be a little high. Having said that, some clubs would have some issues now and for the next few years even if allowing for a 20% padding of the estimates.

I know the salary cap is very hard to police but we are never likely to get full disclosure. It's funny that the one team that got caught and paid a big price for getting around the cap now appears to be prospering and would once again have significant issues staying within the cap.

[The Coon Dog]

No wonder Rocca wanted to play this year, 500 - 600k! Richmond have not seen the best of Brown since his knee injury he also is on 500-600k.
Hall/LLoyd 700-800K, thats ridiculous

Some of these players are now on the veterans list. This becomes crucial. They would have had back ended contracts so the bulk of their salary was in the year they became a veteran. Less salary cap pressure that way.

let's say we thought Johnno was worth 1.5 million over 3 years, we might have structured it with 350 in the first year, 450 in the second year & in the 3rd year when he becomes a veteran we pay him the balance, 700k, but only 350k of that is in the salary cap.

[LostDoggy]

I suppose what I am saying is that they are just estimates and they could all be a little high. Having said that, some clubs would have some issues now and for the next few years even if allowing for a 20% padding of the estimates.

I know the salary cap is very hard to police but we are never likely to get full disclosure. It's funny that the one team that got caught and paid a big price for getting around the cap now appears to be prospering and would once again have significant issues staying within the cap.

I think you're too kind in calling it 'funny'. Carlton have always behaved as if they were above the rules -- one only has to look at their current president, the biggest (that's right, the biggest) corporate crook in Australian corporate history to see what their philosophy is in that regard.

- Their last premiership was a salary cap rort.
- The Judd deal broke all trading rules, both written and unwritten, around negotiating with contracted players, and him and his partner getting a gig as 'ambassadors' for VISY is a joke (and should be included in his salary figure above).
- Their last three no.1 picks were a result of throwing matches, which is actually illegal in a professional sport (so of course they'll deny it till their blue in the face.. Pratt denied any corporate wrongdoing even AFTER the guilty verdict in his case).

Carlton represents that side of society -- ala AIG executives who somehow have the gall to believe that they are entitled to multi-million dollar performance bonuses for bankrupting the company, bonuses paid for by public "bailout" money -- whose sense of entitlement is so bewilderingly disproportionate that they believe they deserve anything they get.

I've said it a few times on this forum before: if Carlton win a flag in the next few years by cheating their way to it, it will be as good a time as any to pack it in as far as my following of AFL goes, Dogs or no Dogs.

[LostDoggy]

Lantern...yes you are right Carlton have and will continue to act as if the rules are written for the "others" ....But let's not let the AFL off the hook so quickly, we all feel that there is rorting going on so surely the AFL should be doing something about it!! IF Carlton are found to be in breach of the rules again, then it's straight to the firing squad, no judge, no jury...no mercy!! The fact that players are making some good coin out of the game that they love should not be the issue!!

[LostDoggy]

Lantern...yes you are right Carlton have and will continue to act as if the rules are written for the "others" ....But let's not let the AFL off the hook so quickly, we all feel that there is rorting going on so surely the AFL should be doing something about it!! IF Carlton are found to be in breach of the rules again, then it's straight to the firing squad, no judge, no jury...no mercy!! The fact that players are making some good coin out of the game that they love should not be the issue!!

You're absolutely right - the AFL hierarchy have a lot to answer for in this case: Judd and Twigley's VISY 'environment ambassador' crap (a huge pay packet to have "his face on the side of VISY boxes and give 'environmental tips' to the Footy Record") was approved by the AFL as being legit and outside of the salary cap, because it's his 'other job' outside of football. Who does the AFL think is the CEO of VISY for f***s sakes?

If it's legit there's no reason why all clubs couldn't just give players ridiculous "jobs" outside of football to pay them outside the salary cap. Oh, wait...

This is a farce of ridiculous proportions.

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This is why I said I would give up footy if Carlton wins, because this crap is being sanctioned at the highest level -- like many here, my love for the Dogs is the only thing keeping me even remotely attached to this god-awful competition.

[Sockeye Salmon]

You're absolutely right - the AFL hierarchy have a lot to answer for in this case: Judd and Twigley's VISY 'environment ambassador' crap (a huge pay packet to have "his face on the side of VISY boxes and give 'environmental tips' to the Footy Record") was approved by the AFL as being legit and outside of the salary cap, because it's his 'other job' outside of football. Who does the AFL think is the CEO of VISY for f***s sakes?

If it's legit there's no reason why all clubs couldn't just give players ridiculous "jobs" outside of football to pay them outside the salary cap. Oh, wait...

This is a farce of ridiculous proportions.

---

This is why I said I would give up footy if Carlton wins, because this crap is being sanctioned at the highest level -- like many here, my love for the Dogs is the only thing keeping me even remotely attached to this god-awful competition.

We're agreeing way too often for my liking, Lantern.

You're smack on the money again.

Richmond's property deal is another lurk that reeks to high heaven.

A couple of others:
When Nick Riewoldt was negotiating his last contract they hit a stalemate, Nick wanted more cash, St.Kilda were at their cap. Ricky Nixon gets on SEN and says that St.Kilda needed to "get more imaginative". Riewoldt re-signs within the week.

A few years back I had a bit to do with a high-profile indigenous player, I'll name him if Gary lets me (can I, Gary?). His bills (in the 10's of $1000's) was paid for by an Aboriginal community group. He told us that his club gave the community group a (tax deductable) 'donation' and they distributed some the funds as directed by the club and kept the rest.

He also told me he sold a piece of 'original aboriginal artwork' - a stick drawing on a piece of butcher's paper - to his CEO for $20K.


The AFL want to bring in free agency with the salary cap the only protection for clubs like us, we'll be screwed like we were in the 70's.

[Desipura]

Some of these players are now on the veterans list. This becomes crucial. They would have had back ended contracts so the bulk of their salary was in the year they became a veteran. Less salary cap pressure that way.

let's say we thought Johnno was worth 1.5 million over 3 years, we might have structured it with 350 in the first year, 450 in the second year & in the 3rd year when he becomes a veteran we pay him the balance, 700k, but only 350k of that is in the salary cap.

Yes I understand how it works however 700k a year whether partly included the salary cap or not is way too much for an ageing Barry Hall.
No doubt when they first negotiated his contract he was in demand and in form and as well as being under 30yo.

[LostDoggy]

Where would Franklin be right now..

Surely in the 500-600k next year

Same with Cooney..

[Go_Dogs]

Where would Franklin be right now..

Surely in the 500-600k next year

Same with Cooney..

Pretty sure Cooney would be right up there. IIRC he had some clause relating to Brownlow etc in his contract. He'd be earning upwards of $500K now, I would have thought.