It was reported on Tuesday that as many as six AFL players earned a seven-figure sum in 2021 - a significant portion of the $13.4m salary cap.
But while fans and media alike love to debate who is worth what, it's not as simple as ranking the six best players in the competition and paying them accordingly.
In addition to what a player offers on the field, there are a number of factors that determine just how much they're worth - age, whether they're on an upward or downward spiral, other star players to pay at their club, whether they're in their 'home' state and when they signed their contract, to name but a few.
Here, we look at the players reported to be on $1m or more in 2021 - Dustin Martin, Lance Franklin, Jeremy McGovern, Brodie Grundy and Nat Fyfe - plus a couple tipped to reach that mark in 2022 - Christian Petracca and Tom Lynch - and determine whether it's money well spent ...
3. Jeremy McGovern
At his best, Jeremy McGovern is one of the best defenders in the game.
The master interceptor signed his latest contract - a five-year, six million-dollar deal - in 2018, when he was one of the hottest properties in the competition.
Indeed, in the final round of the Eagles' 2018 premiership year, McGovern broke the AFL record for most intercept marks in a season.
However, while he continued that form by winning his fourth consecutive All Australian gong in 2019, he hasn't been able to reach those heights over the past two seasons.
In fact, across 2020 and 2021, McGovern has played just 27 games (admittedly, 2020 was a shortened season due to COVID).
An inability to get his body right has also seen some in the media question his professionalism - not a question you want hanging over the head of one of the game's highest-paid players.
Curious too is 'why him?'
As said above, he was one of the hottest properties in the game in 2018 when he signed his contract.
But was he ever a realistic chance of leaving the Eagles? Yes, they have to come to the table if other clubs offer big money, but the 'go-home factor' doesn't apply to the North Albany product.
Speaking of the Eagles, there's no doubt their inconsistent form over the past couple of years has hindered McGovern's effectiveness.
He's as good as anyone at dropping off his opponent to intercept the ball or help out his fellow defenders. But a lack of pressure up the ground has led to McGovern being exploited defensively in reason seasons - as he looks to drop off his opponent, the lack of support from teammates allow the opposition to play through his man.
At 29-years-old, he has enough time to recapture his best form - although the Eagles' injury woes could make it hard for him to find it.
And, even if he does, is he significantly better than the likes of Jake Lever, Steven May, Harris Andrews and Jacob Weitering, who all seemed to go past him in 2021?
The jury is out on that one.
Verdict: There's no doubt he's a very, very good player at his best, but a contract this big is hard to justify.
