AFLW players are set to receive a pay rise for the 2019 season and beyond, with “Tier 1” players receiving $24,600 – up from $20,000 last season.
“Tier 2” players will receive $19,000, “Tier 3” $16,200 and “Tier 4” $13,400.
Melbourne captain Daisy Pearce believes this is likely a reward for bringing so many young girls and women into the AFL world.
SEN Breakfast with Garry Lyon and Tim Watson can be heard Monday-Friday 6-9am, and you can subscribe to the podcast here.
“I guess it’s a fair question (to ask why AFLW players are getting a pay rise) when you look at the metrics that AFL success is measured on and where their pay rise is coming from in terms of TV viewership, attendance, that’s where their money’s coming from,” Pearce told SEN Breakfast.
“You have to think outside the square of how we’ve usually measured what is a successful AFL season and what warrants a pay rise.
“The participation rates in (women’s footy) had been pretty steady for a long time in terms of junior players playing the game, people who were participating in and consuming AFL.
“Enter AFLW and there’s been a huge increase in the number of female players who take up the game and obviously continue to pump money into the game.
“When you look at it that way, it’s a bit more of a long-term impact that AFLW is going to be having. One of the reasons could be reward for that.
“You have to almost look at it as an investment, I don’t think anyone’s claiming it to be a reward for being as good as the men’s competition in terms of the football standard.
“But how can you expect us to be there yet when men’s football has had a 30-year head start of professionalism.”
Some clubs have also given their players a $3,000 bonus for turning up to training a week early.
AFLW players are contracted for 13 hours of training weekly in pre-season and 10 hours during the season.
Listen to Daisy Pearce's chat with Garry Lyon and Tim Watson on SEN Breakfast in the player below