The list of the 100 highest-paid AFL players currently going around has been revealed, sorting each by an estimated $100,000 range.
AFL players' wages are not made public, so fans and pundits rely on those closest to the business for their knowledge of the financial operations going on at club land.
Exact figures aren't known, especially when contracts are spread over multiple seasons, with triggers, incentives and match payments adding layers to each signing.
Another important nuance to contractual operations inside the AFL is the increasing salary cap, allowing clubs to spend more money on star players as their demand in the market rises.
This layer adds intrigue to the external debate of certain players over who is and isn't living up to their lucrative deals.
The most recent player to pen a $1 million or more deal, Ben McKay, has benefitted dramatically from the nature of rising salary caps and the demand for key position players in the competition.
His place on theย Herald Sun'sย rich list as the second highest paid player in the league would have a few asking how a player without All-Australian squad pedigree could be earning so much, while one of the greatest defenders of this generation, Tom Stewart, settles with roughly half a million less.
Notable names (100-50)
98 - Luke Davies Uniacke ($600-700k)
97 - Peter Wright ($600-700k)
96 - Patrick Dangerfield ($600-700k)
90 - Tom Green ($650-750k)
88 - Tom De Koning ($650-750k)
85 - Josh Kelly ($650-750k)
82 - Tom Stewart ($650-750k)
79 - Zak Butters ($700-800k)
73 - Griffin Logue ($700-800k)
67 - Andrew Gaff ($700-800k)
64 - Darcy Parish ($700-800k)
62 - Zac Williams ($700-800k)
53 - Sam Walsh ($750-850k)
51 - Max King ($750-850k)
A number of genuine superstars feature in the bottom half of the top 100, notably Luke Davies-Uniacke, Tom Green, Tom Stewart and Zak Butters; all of whom have a strong case to be considered top 25 or even top 10 players in the competition.
Patrick Dangerfield, Josh Kelly and Sam Walsh could also claim they are playing well above their contract, especially come finals time in Dangerfield and Walsh's case. The only thing holding these guys back is their injury concerns, leaving them with interrupted pre-seasons or home & away campaigns too often.
Tom De Koning and Max King are in similar boats; yet to fulfil what many believe to be their full potential, though De Koning definitely made bigger strides in season 2024.
Veteran Griffin Logue and retiring Eagle Andrew Gaff would be the notable busts in this section, both being mere fringe players on two of the poorest sides this season.
Notable names (50-10)
49 - Sam Taylor ($750-850k)
48 - Dylan Shiel ($750-850k)
46 - Bradley Hill ($750-850k)
43 - Jordan De Goey ($775-875k)
42 - Izak Rankine ($775-875k)
41 - Luke Jackson ($800-900k)
37 - Jack Steele ($800-900k)
36 - Jacob Hopper ($800-900k)
33 - Tim Taranto ($800-900k)
30 - Zach Merrett ($800-900k)
29 - Max Gawn ($800-900k)
28 - Charlie Curnow ($850-950k)
27 - Nick Daicos ($850-950k)
23 - Lachie Neale ($850-950k)
22 - Nick Haynes ($900k-1m)
21 - Jack Lukosius ($900k-1m)
16 - Nick Larkey ($950k-1.05m)
15 - Ben King ($950k-1.05m)
14 - Aaron Naughton ($950k-1.05m)
13 - Darcy Moore ($950k-1.05m)
GWS' brick wall Sam Taylor is clearly the biggest bargain here, though not for long, as his 2026 deal kicks in and takes his salary beyond $1m.
Superstars Zach Merrett, Max Gawn, Nick Daicos and Charlie Curnow should arguably all be on upwards of $1m, especially given the names of some listed ahead.
None of Jack Lukosius, Ben King and Aaron Naughton have shown that they are worth more than the four above, and none could claim they are tracking to go past them eventually. This is where demand for key position players helps some players significantly, especially when compared to small forward Izak Rankine, who earns around $200k less for potentially greater production.
Dylan Shiel and Jacob Hopper are glaring busts, primarily due to their injury history, but also considering their struggles to make their respective senior side or perform to their salary when they're in.
But the most eye-catching of all is Nick Haynes, who with just eight games played this season and a run of form nowhere near that of 2016-2020, remains one of the highest-paid players in the game with up to seven figures on his deal.
TOP 10
10Patrick Cripps ($1,000,000 - $1,100,000)
9Tim Kelly ($1,000,000 - $1,100,000)
8Brodie Grundy ($1,000,000 - $1,100,000)
7Marcus Bontempelli ($1,000,000 - $1,100,000)
6Clayton Oliver ($1,000,000 - $1,100,000)
5Shai Bolton ($1,000,000 - $1,100,000)
4Christian Petracca ($1,200,000 - $1,300,000)
3Dustin Martin ($1,250,000 - $1,350,000)
2Ben McKay ($1,300,000 - $1,400,000)
1Tom Lynch ($1,450,000 - $1,550,000)
Many of the names here won't surprise; Patrick Cripps, Marcus Bontempelli and Christian Petracca are clearly million-dollar players in million-dollar form.
The same could've been said for Clayton Oliver 12 months ago when he looked like a top five player in the league without any off-field concerns to worry about.
Tim Kelly, Brodie Grundy, Shai Bolton and Tom Lynch are special talents who often look like superstars of the competition but probably don't warrant top 10 player salaries with their respective inconsistency and injury concerns.
Tiger fans will tell you retiring legend Dustin Martin deserves every penny of his $1.3m for delivering three flags to Richmond, even as the club fall to become the bottom-dwellers of the competition yet again.
Finally, it'll shock many to find that McKay is the second-highest player in the league, having joined Essendon last year on that lucrative front-ended deal worth nearly $1.5m this season. No player has gained more from market demand than the Bombers key back in recent memory, club's throwing all they can to lure the talented defensive talls critical to premiership success. Time will tell how well this contract ages for Essendon, but after one season, Bomber fans are nervous.
