Do you have a problem with the afl players getting so little of the overall revenue?

[boncer34]

I remember some years back the afl players got 21% of total revenue. I also remember Andrew Demetriou and the board used to pay themselves more than the highest paid afl player, yet there was relatively little outrage from the fans.

I googled just now and it seems the players now get 28% of total revenue compared to epl players get 67%, nba 50% and nfl which get 48%. To me it is a sin the administrators are able to get away with this, what are your thoughts on it?

Did you get this by multiply the salary cap by 18 and dividing by total AFL revenue?

 

[Seattle Mariners]

I should but I don’t.

 

[boncer34]

The average wage 400k is heavily skewered towards the high income bracket

Over half the players make $400k+

 

[mcleod at 50 lines it up]

How did they get there?

Prrrobably first by being made aware of the game (marketing). Then playing at a local club (grassroots funding). Then by going through development pathways. Then getting drafted and hardly touching the footy for a few years (but still getting paid six figures).


That pretty much sums up my experience, and I doubt I'm alone.

I'm willing to bet a technician at Apple doesn't get a bigger % of revenue now that they sell 200 million iPhones vs when they sold 100 million.

Jesus, someone help this man

 

[mcleod at 50 lines it up]

Did you get this by multiply the salary cap by 18 and dividing by total AFL revenue?

After your effort of asking a question that had been addressed multiple times in the thread and then doubling down on it, I'm not sure you should be talking in such a way

 

[Scotland]

That pretty much sums up my experience, and I doubt I'm alone.

I'm willing to bet a technician at Apple doesn't get a bigger % of revenue now that they sell 200 million iPhones vs when they sold 100 million.

Apple generates income on product sales, not employees. It's not like they are a big 4 firm that bills hours. I imagine if you walked into Steve Jobs' office and said "Hey turtle neck, how about we make an iPod touch that is also a phone?" you'd be sitting pretty right now.

The AFL's product is games of footy. Bums on seats and eyes on screens is what brings in the dollars to HQ. You can't do that without 800 players and those 800 players have nowhere else to go to make a living. The commercial value of the state leagues is basically 0 at this point.

Remember that Gillon McLachlan was a highly paid exec at Accenture, then a highly paid exec at the AFL for a decade and is now a highly paid exec at Tabcorp. He can be an executive for another 10 or 20 years if he wants. Most players have 10-15 years to make money playing footy then have to find (generally lower paying) employment after that.

 

[Teen Wolf]

The commercial value of the state leagues is basically 0 at this point.

Why?

Once we answer that question honestly, we see the game does not in fact "sell itself" and it becomes obvious that the players' share of AFL revenue is pretty fair.

 

[boncer34]

After your effort of asking a question that had been addressed multiple times in the thread and then doubling down on it, I'm not sure you should be talking in such a way

It's a question. I'm wondering where your numbers came from?

 

[Scotland]

Why?

Once we answer that question honestly, we see the game does not in fact "sell itself" and it becomes obvious that the players' share of AFL revenue is pretty fair.

Because it is not the elite level.

Australia is not England where Championship teams can have player payrolls of $40m+ and 28,000 people will watch Coventry vs Burnley. There is no market for Swans vs East Freo or Port Melbourne vs Werribee.

Australian sports fans are notorious theatregoers. Which is why the NRL and AFL thrive and everyone else fights over the scraps. No one doesn't watch the NRL because they would rather stay up and watch the Super League. Plenty don't watch the NBL or A-League because the NBA and EPL are better.

I'm not arguing the players' share isn't fair but they are the product and if the product is worth $1b then they shouldn't be paid based on what it was worth 5 or 10 years ago.

 

[Teen Wolf]

Because it is not the elite level.

Australia is not England where Championship teams can have player payrolls of $40m+ and 28,000 people will watch Coventry vs Burnley. There is no market for Swans vs East Freo or Port Melbourne vs Werribee.

Australian sports fans are notorious theatregoers. Which is why the NRL and AFL thrive and everyone else fights over the scraps. No one doesn't watch the NRL because they would rather stay up and watch the Super League. Plenty don't watch the NBL or A-League because the NBA and EPL are better.

I'm not arguing the players' share isn't fair but they are the product and if the product is worth $1b then they shouldn't be paid based on what it was worth 5 or 10 years ago.

The 44 best players in the country could run out for Port Melbourne vs Werribee this weekend, and still nobody will give a crap.

We're mostly just attached to our clubs, and not particularly interested in any other footy, regardless of how good it is. This is why State of Origin went away, remember??

 

[Scotland]

The 44 best players in the country could run out for Port Melbourne vs Werribee this weekend, and still nobody will give a crap.

Not straight away no. Port Melbourne also play at a suburban ground that holds 10,000 people.

AFL clubs can't 'quit' the AFL like the First Division clubs did to create the EPL. The brand value of the AFL and its clubs is high, but there is also no competition. If some rich billionaire launched a Super League or LIV Footy and started paying top payers $2m, $3m a year you would start to see changes, Thursday Night Footy Adelaide vs Geelong minus Dangerfield, Dawson, Cameron, Thilthorpe, Tex, Holmes etc. doesn't really have the same appeal.

We're mostly just attached to our clubs, and not particularly interested in any other footy, regardless of how good it is. This is why State of Origin went away, remember??

State of Origin went away because the players didn't take it seriously. Look at the NRL. Players will run through brick walls to play for Qld and NSW and it is a massive success to the point it sells out stadiums in Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth. When the Nathan Clearys and Billy Slaters of the world start saying 'nah bit sore, got finals coming up' watch it drop off a cliff.

 

[Nomad12]

How did they get there?

Prrrobably first by being made aware of the game (marketing). Then playing at a local club (grassroots funding). Then by going through development pathways. Then getting drafted and hardly touching the footy for a few years (but still getting paid six figures).


That pretty much sums up my experience, and I doubt I'm alone.

I'm willing to bet a technician at Apple doesn't get a bigger % of revenue now that they sell 200 million iPhones vs when they sold 100 million.

Geez I hope noone has to work for you mate no credit at all haha..obviously sport is different anyway and AFL wages have increased with the growth of the game and set to go above 500k average in 2027 so I don't know what your even trying to argue anymore besides that apparently players don't touch footys after drafted?? What. Believe it or not it also takes alot of talent, athleticism and hard work to make it and I guess you give the AFL credit for that too

 

[Nomad12]

How did they get there?

Prrrobably first by being made aware of the game (marketing). Then playing at a local club (grassroots funding). Then by going through development pathways. Then getting drafted and hardly touching the footy for a few years (but still getting paid six figures).


That pretty much sums up my experience, and I doubt I'm alone.

I'm willing to bet a technician at Apple doesn't get a bigger % of revenue now that they sell 200 million iPhones vs when they sold 100 million.

Oh my bad is that what they do to the draftees at North and that's why they can't kick

 

[HairyO]

The AFL cant pay the players more. They have thousands of do-nothing employees to pay, who pad the reporting duties of the senior execs so they can be paid millions.

 

[5 Bucks]

They kick a ball around. Something other people do for fun, for free. They're not saving lives here.

They should subsidise the cost of a hotdog or pie or beer at their venues before paying anyone more.

 

[Tackle Bag]

One thing I'm not sure if its still the case but the afl never let the players association see where that reinvested money actually goes, maybe that has changed.

So while I guess it is not profit, spending lets say conservatively 30% of revenue on development or reinvesting is more than the players are actually paid, to me that seems very out of whack.

I would suggest the amount being put back into development is far leas than you think, unless the funding for the northern expansion clubs falls into this category.

AFLW is costing a fortune so they wouldn’t want those figures known by anyone either so the books will never be opened for scrutiny

 

[mcleod at 50 lines it up]

I would suggest the amount being put back into development is far leas than you think, unless the funding for the northern expansion clubs falls into this category.

AFLW is costing a fortune so they wouldn’t want those figures known by anyone either so the books will never be opened for scrutiny

I agree, but that's always been the go to line by the afl, whilst they pay their board and executives more than the players.

But if this thread was any guide seems to be a tall poppy syndrome or general malaise about caring for the injustice being done to the players.

Perhaps a broader issue in the country and Victoria was certainly the most passive of the states in recent years.

 

[Breretonisahood]

Not a problem. What’s most important is that our super dooper genius AFL administrators Dill and Kane and co are richly rewarded.

 

[daniel_4tw]

Absolutely. Too much money goes to the administrators and failing clubs. Not enough to the players that are actually creating the product and revenue.

 

[Tomford]

Yeah I feel sorry for them

 

[mcleod at 50 lines it up]

Yeah I feel sorry for them

Not sure if this is taking the piss lol

 

[Interdimensional Bigfoot]

Couldn't care less, we at Geelong have other ways to ensure our players are looked after if you cotton on my drift.