AFL players' millionaires club continues to boom

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The AFL players millionaire's club has increased to 25 blokes, a fair dinkum jump from 19 in 2023.

At least ten of them top the $1.2 million mark.

Melbourne's Christian Petracca, who's a two-time Carlton Brownlow Medallist and Patrick Cripps as captain, Richmond's Tom Lynch, Essendon's Ben McKay, and Sydney's Isaiah Heeney are among the game's top-paid players.

The total earnings of players will reach $300 million this year - they were $296.3 million last year, compared with more than $280.8 million in '23.

The average cost for a primary-listed player is roughly $460,000 per season.

Also on Monday, the AFL revealed its operating surplus has zoomed up to $45.4 million as the league has made a swift recovery from being financially "emptied" by COVID-19.

The league also announced a boost to spending in a number of key areas, including the AFLW and funding for the health and wellbeing of past players.

Further funds for the players' association injury and hardship program and retirement fund is a big boost, especially considering the increasing worries about the long-term health effects of concussions.

On Monday, the Australian Football League made a public announcement that its underlying operating profit had increased from $27.7 million in 2023 to $45.4 million in the latest calendar year.

The league's net worth was last this strong back in 2018, when it recorded a profit of $50.4 million.

After reporting substantial losses towards the end of COVID-19, the league's financial health has been steadily improving over the past couple of years.

"A coordinated effort to lower the industry's expenses and save revenue has helped the AFL get a profit from our budget and we're still working on fixing and improving the industry's financial situation," AFL chief financial officer Matthew Chun said in a league statement.

The COVID-19 pandemic couped our emergency funds, and for the past three years we've been careful to refill that kitty.

While a new broadcast deal comes on board this year, it's crucial we keep up strict financial control so the game stays affordable and accessible for everyone across the board.

The AFL's 2024 financial results included an uplift of 72.3 million dollars in operational revenue.

Beyond giving more money to AFL clubs and working on the game, the league also increased funding for the AFL Women's (AFLW) from $57.2 million to $63.7 million.

Its funding of the AFLPA, including player development, the injury and hardship programs, as well as the player retirement fund, rose from $41.5 million to $49.9 million.

Payment to AFL executives was $10.8 million down from $13.6 million, however there was no update on salaries for key personnel such as chief executive Andrew Dillon.

AFL chairman Richard Goyder said the league has committed $360 million to the Tasmania Devils expansion team over the next 10 years.

The AFL has announced that Denis Bowden will replace Professor Helen Milroy as the Indigenous representative on the commission.

Bowden, from the Northern Territory, is the CEO of the Yothu Yindi Foundation and co-director of the Garma festival.

Her family has connections with Richmond and the Northern Territory club, Southern Districts.