The best players in the AFL might not be in the same league as the Aussies in the NFL, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t living well. According to newly published data, the Top 100 players are all making at least half a million dollars a year, while elite AFL players are taking home upwards of a million in 2023.
As reported by the Herald Sun, there are now 12 players in the AFL earning more than $1 million per year. For context: the salary cap of each team was fixed at $13,540,000 in 2022; while the total paid out in salaries last year was a record $257.6 million (an average of more than $400,000 per player).
So what were the highest AFL player salaries in 2023? As you’d expect, there are a few expected names at the top of the list, though a number of less prolific players have also made the cut. We get into the nitty-gritty below.
Top 20 AFL Player Salaries In 2023
20. Brodie Grundy (Melbourne Demons): $800,000-$900,000
19. Adam Treloar (Western Bulldogs): $825,000-$925,000
18. Bradley Hill (St Kilda): $825,000-$925,000
17. Isaac Heeney (Sydney Swans): $850,000-$950,000
16. James Sicily (Hawthorn Hawks): $850,000–$950,000
15. Nick Haynes (Greater Western Sydney Giants): $850,000–$950,000
14. Lachie Whitfield (Greater Western Sydney Giants): $850,000-$950,000
13. Toby Greene (Greater Western Sydney Giants): $850,000-$950,000
12. Stephen Coniglio (Greater Western Sydney Giants): $850,000-$950,000
11. Patrick Cripps (Carlton): $900,000-$1 million
10. Darcy Moore (Collingwood Magpies): $950,000–$1.02 million
9. Tom Lynch (Richmond Tigers): $950,000–$1.02 million
8. Jeremy Cameron (Geelong Cats): $950,000–$1.05 million
7. Christian Petracca (Melbourne Demons): $950,000–$1.05 million
6. Clayton Oliver (Melbourne Demons): $950,000–$1.05 million
5. Marcus Bontempelli (Western Bulldogs): $1 million–$1.1 million
4. Tim Kelly (West Coast Eagles): $1 million–$1.1 million
3. Jeremy McGovern (West Coast Eagles): $1 million–$1.1 million
2. Nat Fyfe (Fremantle Dockers): $1,050,000–$1.15 million
1. Dustin Martin: $1.25 million–$1.35 million
