Most Players In The New AFL Women’s League Will Be Paid Just $5,000
The average male AFL player earned $300,000 last year.
This year the AFL unveiled details of a new women’s competition. The AFL women’s league will feature eight clubs playing six matches each. The creating of a women’s league is a big deal, and a very overdue step for women’s sport. Now the AFL has finally released information on how much the players will get paid and it’s… not good.
Each club is entitled to two marquee picks. According to The Herald-Sun those players will earn $25,000 per season. But the majority of players in the women’s league will earn a minimum of just $5,000. For comparison, the average male AFL player earned more than $300,000 last year.
The average payment for a listed male AFL player in 2015 was $302,104. A whole list of 30 female players in 2017 will be paid $205,000
— Erin Riley (@erinrileyau) August 30, 2016
To make matters even worse the players will have to foot the bill for private health insurance, which is likely to be pretty high for a professional sports player.
Where is the @AFLPlayers Association on the terrible below minimum wage pay planned for the women’s league?
— arwon (@arwon) August 30, 2016
In February the AFL posted a half a billion revenue figure for 2015. The (male) CEO of the AFL earns $1.7 million a year. The AFL’s net profit last year was approximately 10 times the collective amount women players will be paid in this year’s league.
The AFL is already copping a lot of flack for the pay deal.
These women will need to hold down jobs while playing. If they get injured, what then? The AFL has a responsibility to #ProtectThePlayers
— Danielle Warby (@DanielleWarby) August 30, 2016
That is exceptionally low player payments for the Women’s AFL. The @AFL_House needs to do better.
— Natalie (@natsouthby) August 30, 2016
Some useful information about the AFL Women’s League payment arrangements. pic.twitter.com/SNNK1kMeFY
— Erin Riley (@erinrileyau) August 30, 2016
Earlier this week the ABC’s Australian Story covered the challenges faced by women AFL players, including the fact that players had to stump up a $500 per season fee to play in the Victorian Women’s Football League. Today’s pay announcement shows that while women’s league is a big step forward, there’s still a very long way to go when it comes to equality.
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Feature image via Melbourne Football Club/Facebook