In the AFL, a million-dollar salary was once reserved for hall of famers, but nowadays just about every team has a player on its payroll making seven figures a year. It’s a side effect of the league’s growth. The AFL easily has the highest attendance numbers of any Australian sporting league, while attracting even more viewers at home; at the beginning of the 2025 season, a new seven-year TV rights deal with Channel 7 worth $4.5 billion kicked in.
So yes, there’s plenty of money going around, and some of it does indeed trickle down to the league’s top players. But who are the highest paid players in the AFL for the 2025 season? Dustin Martin’s retirement means he isn’t on top for the first time in years, and while Mac Andrew signed a record-breaking extension with the Gold Coast Suns in 2024 worth $12 million, he is also absent, as his new salary won’t come into effect until 2026.
The AFL’s highest-earning players are all taking home more than $1 million this year, though, so the coffers are hardly bare. Read on to discover the highest paid players in the AFL for the 2025 season, ranked from ten to one.
It’s a three-way tie for tenth place, and we’re not willing to exclude any of these three superstars: Patrick Cripps from Carlton Blues, Zak Butters of Port Adelaide and Isaac Heeney of Sydney Swans, all making $1 million in 2025. Cripps, a two-time Brownlow medallist, is practically worshipped among Blues fandom and admired by footy fans from across the spectrum. Butters, a two-time All-Australian selection, is bound to have a Brownlow in his future after finishing in the top four for two consecutive seasons and Heeney, another two-time All-Australian, has already taken the Swans to three grand finals – albeit with no wins. All worth every penny.
Next up is Darcy Moore of Collingwood Magpies, earning $1.05 million. The Collingwood captain has established himself as one of the league’s best defenders. You might not see too much of Moore during a broadcast, but that’s an indication of his skill rather than an example of lack thereof; he has the ability to put his opponents on an island, isolating them from the ball and locking them completely out of games. Off the field, he’s also a nice guy with great style, making him a desirable addition to any team.
Clayton Oliver of Melbourne Demons, also earning $1.05 million, follows Moore. Oliver is a three-time All-Australian selection and forms one of the AFL’s most dominant midfield partnerships with Christian Petracca. But despite their talent, the Dees have taken quite a few steps back since winning the premiership in 2021, and a major rebuild could be looming. Nonetheless, the Demons would likely want to hold on to Oliver as he remains a key player.
Shai Bolton, playing for Fremantle Dockers, is next with a salary of $1.1 million. After his first eight years with Richmond, Bolton made the move back home to Western Australia via a trade to Fremantle during the offseason, signing a five-year contract that ties him to the club until at least 2029.
Tim Kelly, now with the West Coast Eagles, shares the same salary as Bolton at $1.1 million. Kelly has been one of the AFL’s highest paid players since requesting a trade to West Coast and signing a multi-million-dollar six-year deal with the club in 2020. While some armchair experts argue the Eags haven’t gotten a great return on their investment—having made the finals only once in Kelly’s five years, with that lone appearance ending in a first-round exit—it's a tough call to pin the club's struggles solely on him.
Moving on, we have Marcus Bontempelli of the Western Bulldogs, also at $1.1 million. Widely considered the AFL’s premier player, Bontempelli has made the All-Australian team a whopping six times and the 22under22 team a record five times. Though an all-important Brownlow still eludes him, finishing second twice, fans and analysts alike anticipate that this could be his year.
Another important player, Christian Petracca of the Melbourne Demons, earns $1.2 million. However, Petracca's performance was affected last season due to a horrific injury—sustaining a lacerated spleen, four broken ribs, and a punctured lung after an on-field collision—resulting in a long recovery period. Now that he’s back, the pressure is on him to lift the Demons from their struggles.
Aaron Naughton, who is also making $1.2 million with Western Bulldogs, is considered one of the competition’s most prolific goalkickers. Given the size of his contract, it’s no surprise he has faced criticism for his inconsistency in front of goal. But when he’s firing, the Bulldogs can be a challenging opponent.
The second highest-paid player for 2025 is Ben McKay of Essendon Bombers, who earns $1.3 million. The Bombers pinned a lot of their finals hopes on McKay’s shoulders when they signed him to a six-year contract worth upwards of $5 million in 2023. His tenure has been marred by injuries, raising questions over whether he was ever worth such a huge contract.
Finally, the highest paid AFL player for 2025 is Richmond Tigers’ Tom Lynch, taking home $1.45 million. Lynch signed a backloaded contract worth $6.5 million with Richmond in 2018, which initially seemed like a bargain during the Tigers' back-to-back premiership run in 2019 and 2020. However, Lynch has become a symbol of the Tigers' decline, having played only a combined eight games over the last two seasons. Now in the last year of his contract, the Tigers will likely be eager to get Lynch's heavyweight salary off their books to focus on rebuilding their team.
In conclusion, the AFL sees its players earning unprecedented salaries as the league expands, attracting larger audiences and considerable revenue. With the focus on team performances and individual contributions, these top earners will undoubtedly have significant roles in shaping their teams' futures again in 2025.
