After agreeing to pay a fistful of dollars to players for the next five years, AFL is set to further tighten its grip on Australia’s elite sporting talent.
AFL players confirmed their collective status as Australia’s best-paid athletes after signing off on a $1.144 billion pay deal which includes higher wages, a generous pension plan for retired players, and the promise of more if the league’s revenue is above expectations.
The average player will earn more than $300,000 a year by 2016 under the deal signed off by the AFL and the players’ union on Thursday.
And even those at the very bottom of the pay pyramid learning their trade – rookie-listed players – will be paid a guaranteed $53,000 by the end of 2014.
With nearly 900 jobs available for players, the elite athletes’ pathway can now be expected to swing heavily towards AFL.
AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou and AFL Players’ Association boss Matt Finnis acknowledged their deal would change the landscape for Australian sport and draw the best of the best to their code.
“The deal unequivocally makes AFL the best career choice for aspiring young athletes,” Demetriou said on Thursday.
“The agreement makes AFL players – the stars of our game – the best rewarded athletes in Australia.
“This is an excellent outcome for all parties.”
After lengthy negotiations, the deal was signed off as AFLPA delegates met at a conference in the Victorian coastal town of Lorne on Thursday.
The new agreement is effectively the same as the $1.144 billion deal rejected by the players in August – with one major concession from the league.
Running until the end of 2016, it will now be formally reviewed after three years, allowing the players to ask for more money if AFL revenues are higher than originally forecast.
The AFL had originally wanted the terms of the deal locked in for the full five years with no mid-agreement review.
But Demetriou said club budgets and funding for the game would remain unaffected by any changes to the deal in 2014.
Both sides have had to make a key concession.
The AFLPA’s was giving up its demand for a fixed percentage of 25 to 27 per cent of AFL revenue.
Key elements of the players’ new wage deal include:
* Salary increases of seven per cent in 2012, four per cent in 2013 and 5.4 per cent in 2014, with at least three per cent increases in 2015 and 2016 which may rise further depending on the mid-agreement review;
* Clubs must pay at least 95 per cent of the salary cap for the next five years, up from 92.5 per cent;
* All players to have a set midweek day off each week;
* $14 million annually for a player retirement benefits scheme; and
* Increases in minimum wages for rookie-listed players, rising to a guaranteed $53,785 a year by 2014.
Finnis said player strike action was never formally threatened during the negotiations, as had been rumoured.
“Neither party have sought to conduct negotiations where you try to hold a gun to someone’s head,” Finnis said.
AFLPA president and Greater Western Sydney midfielder Luke Power said the deal was testament to the players sticking to their beliefs, and “holding the line” despite the tough negotiations – much of which were played out in the court of public opinion.
“Not one player wasn’t happy to be able to go back to their club and their players and tell them that we’d reached a deal that not only satisfied what our objectives were, but didn’t compromise any of our values,” Power said.
piesman2011
Guest
Something else you would have to consider is where the jobs are. AFL has about 900 jobs avaliable to players, there are also lots of players payed good wages to play in the WAFL, SANFL, VFL and many other leagues. There are thousands of jobs avaliable to play aussie rules. Cricket and I am only guessing would be lucky to have 150-300 jobs at a similar sort of pay scale (yes I am aware that the elite cricketers get more money).
stabpass
Guest
@ Betamax, stop beating around the bush, come up with something better, is there something you really want to say !.
BigAl
Guest
Betamax - clearly you are prefering of another epoch to the one currenly involving today's professional athlete, which of course is your right. I remember seeing in this forum a post re. o/s travel experiences which at one stage consumed a fair amount of my professional life, and was very apt from my perspective . . . "1. Don't believe everything you hear about Australia - it's overrated !" "2. Don't believe everything you hear about over seas - it's overrated !" "
betamax
Roar Guru
Fake, I do a similar thing. I'm working in the UK at the moment(back in oz for xmas) If I had to give up my experiences(good and bad) I had with working and travelling around the world and swap them with the sheltered familiarly of working in Sydney and Brisbane for my professional career, I'd be, I dunno, really upset! Sure Aussie Rules players might be comfortable with their lot, but others might have grander ambitions.You know, like working with people from other countries. Maybe learn another language. Ensconce yourself in amongst the local fans that don't happen to be from your neighbourhood. Actually a steam ship bound for Celyon sounds sounds rather exciting. Is it via Persia and Constantinople and onward to Mother England?
BigAl
Guest
I also had a laugh re 'Travel to exotic locations...' - your average GenYer these days seems to me to be taking o/s trips twice a year ! And, when Aus. sporting teams do go o/s they get into nothing but strife anyway...
Fake ex-AFL fan
Roar Rookie
This point about the lack of international travel opportuniti provded by AFL always makes me chuckle. Seriously what year is it, 1895 and the only way we can get on the steamer bound for Ceylon is if we're part of the Australian XI on its way to the mother country? At $300k per annum I reckon those AFL players that want to see the world might just have the chance. Speaking as someone who spends a good chunk of my year in various airports and business hotels around the world I can tell you travelling as part of your profession is great for about six months, then gets real old.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Similar opportunities springing up in places like Canada and Scandinavia. It's not too different to young clubs in places like Cairns and the NSW Sapphire coast offering decent footballers from the Southern states the opportunity to play in a nice location with the promise of a job - sometimes there's a small level of match payments as part of the deal, other times there isn't. In particular, these sorts of clubs with limited resources and in non-traditional footy areas are looking for playing-coaches, where they can kill two birds with the one stone and get more bang for their buck.
stabpass
Guest
@ Betamax, the sky is the limit, Australian football will never match soccer, or maybe never match rugby as a international sport, but increasingly it is becoming a export, Australian footballers who can coach, have admin experience, and of course can get a kick are being increasingly sought O/S by existing, growing or new leagues/clubs. The renumeration may be small, or indeed non-existant, but it is a growing market, make no mistake, and it is a great way to travel and play a sport/ that you love. Just as an aside, i know of a few West Aussies who have gone specifically to London on the promise of a job and some coin to play in the London League, possibly they could have made more money here, but the choice is available.
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
Kasey, If cricket wants the money to hire the good young athletes as professionals, then people need to start going through the gate and paying at cricket matches so cricket has the money to do it.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
the world has always been black and white
Kasey
Guest
Cattery, so those who wish to 'be lucky' would want to hope they never get drafted by/traded to Collingwood then?
The Cattery
Roar Guru
betamax for the lucky few there are trips to Cairns, Canberra, Darwin and Lonnie.
betamax
Roar Guru
I agree to a point Kasey. Cricket will suffer largely because the body type, particularly fast bowlers, are similar to AFL. Thankfully some will never be suited to AFL. Some will notice the limited scope AFL offers(approx 8 year at top level. Travel to exotic locations such as Geelong and Adelaide. Play in a GF at the G. Retire to run pub in rural Victoria) and ignore the coin.
Kasey
Guest
What a puff piece, no wonder the AFL granted him life membership this week. It must be so hard being Adrian Anderson at press conferences being lobbed Dorothy Dixers at a Dolly of a pace that even Steady Eddie could smash home. After this pay deal goes through, I expect to hear no more bitching from Victorians about the lack of Victorians in the Test team. Its been established many times that talented cricketers are choosing Aussie Rules instead of Cricket and this dilutes the pool of available players for the bushrangers, No wonder NSW is dominant in snaring themselves a baggy Green or 8.
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
The article is up to JVGO, Republican or Qgirl standards.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
A few North fans didn't like that!
Tony
Guest
I note he predicts a Tassie team in 2 years.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Mike Sheehan reports today on the health of Australian Football: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/the-health-of-australian-football/story-e6frf9jf-1226223447470