AFLW "Marquee" players, top-earners and related info

[Teen Wolf]

Locked in: The stars set to cash in on AFL's $35m marketing fund

Top players could earn up to $2m a season when adding their marketing money to their on-field earnings

www.afl.com.au

Confirmed 8 of the initial 18 AFLW players...

Richmond: Monique Conti
Hawthorn: Emily Bates
Sydney: Chloe Molloy
Carlton: Darcy Vescio tells you what sort of program Carlton are running
W. Bulldogs: Ellie Blackburn
Collingwood: Ruby Schleicher (but not highest-paid, see below)
Essendon: Bonnie Toogood (but not highest-paid, see below)
North Melb.: Jasmine Garner

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This article from late last year adds light to some of the above choices:

The big change coming for AFLW's top earners in 2025

In another evolution of the AFLW competition, players' additional income from endorsement deals will be capped from 2025 onwards

www.afl.com.au

Ebony Marinoff was the AFLW's highest paid player last season, tipped to be earning in excess of $260,000 across her 'Tier 1' contract and ASA payments.

Alyce Parker, Emily Bates, Monique Conti, Maddy Prespakis and Georgie Prespakis were also predicted to have racked up football earnings around the $200-250,000 mark last season.

Chloe Molloy, Brianna Davey and Ella Roberts were the other players believed to be in the highest paid bracket of AFLW players.

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Worth reiterating Chelsea Randall, Alicia Eva and Emma Kearney were recipients of the Women's Coach Acceleration Program (which involves a $100k+ coaching position).

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Who are the other 10 AFLW players selected for the 'marketing fund'?

I think I read players were only due to receive confirmation today, so all the names might be released eventually. But in the meantime...

Adelaide: If not Marinoff, likely Anne Hatchard who, according to reports back in 2022, turned down numbers in the realm of $250-300k to stay at the Crows but presumably not for chicken feed.

Brisbane: You would think it'd have to be Ally Anderson, given she wasn't already among the league's very top earners.

Fremantle: I suspect this was part of the package to lure Aishling McCarthy across.

Geelong: Who knows. They have been gifting AFLW players undocumented cars for years (including Georgie Prespakis before she was drafted), so this little bit extra is an irrelevant drop in the ocean.

Gold Coast: Charlie Rowbottom, same logic re Anderson.

GWS Giants: Zarlie Goldsworthy, given Parker is obviously already on a monster ambassadorial contract with the AFL.

Melbourne: Kate Hore. Certainly not Tayla Harris, whose broken-down negotiations with Carlton are elucidated by the info above, and who takes unders from the club in exchange for the ability to prioritise unaffiliated opportunities.

Port Adelaide: Abbey Dowrick (or Gemma Houghton) is perhaps more likely than Matilda Scholz and Ashleigh Woodland, bearing in mind any potential go-home factor.

St Kilda: Maybe Jaimee Lambert, but I'll say Wardlaw for the same reason as Dowrick.

West Coast: I wouldn't be surprised if it was Ella Roberts in addition to already being their highest-paid player, a la Conti/Bates/Molloy.

 

[Teen Wolf]

Tier payments for the remaining years of the CBA:


Here's what the AFLPA, in the recently released Insights and Impact Report, have to say about the Tier system:




"increase strategic flexibility for clubs"... I thought the P in AFLPA stood for Players, but now they're lobbying on behalf of clubs??

Here's something to consider:

Last year Patrick Cripps

9

Patrick Cripps

Age

30

Ht

195cm

Wt

93kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

25.9

5star

K

9.8

4star

HB

16.1

5star

M

3.4

3star

T

5.8

5star

CL

7.4

5star

D

21.0

5star

K

10.1

4star

HB

10.9

5star

M

2.5

3star

T

3.8

4star

CL

6.3

5star

D

12.6

4star

K

4.8

2star

HB

7.8

5star

M

2.0

3star

T

3.2

5star

CL

1.4

4star

accounted for about 8% of Carlton's total possessions, and was reportedly paid about 7% of their salary cap.

But under the AFLW system, Monique Conti and Charlie Rowbottom got approx. 12% of their respective team's disposals, and took up only ~5% of the salary cap.

To me this suggests that as soon as they move to an open market salary cap for AFLW, the base payments for the top players will at least double (in terms of % of TPP).

And so, while this change may seem fairer for a select few, I find it hard to believe the majority of the AFLW cohort are actually pushing for it (unless they haven't done their sums properly).