List sizes and pay deal confirmed:
Revealed: The full details in the new AFL pay dealTom Morris
November 18, 2020 1:34pm
FOX SPORTSAll AFL players will be asked to vote on a new pay deal in the next three days, which will see them receive a 3.5 per cent reduction across the board in 2021.
If approved by players, foxfooty.com.au understands there will be a nine per cent decrease to Total Player Payments, down to $13.17 million per club.
But not all players will cop the brunt of this nine per cent wage cut. Instead, decreases in list sizes and contracts for first-year players will fill the void.
— For players who had a contract for next year before COVID-19 hit, they will take a 3.5 per cent pay cut.
— For players who signed a deal after the mid-year contract freeze, there will be no wage reduction.
— For players who had a contract for 2021 and beyond before the COVID-19 break, they will cop a 3.5 per cent reduction next year, with clubs having the ability to shift their salary by a further five per cent in the later years of their contract.
It’s expected players will approve of the deal by a significant majority when the AFL Players’ Association takes each club through the details later this week.
There will also be a reduction of 10 per cent into the AFLPA’s retirement account, player development, union funding, injury account and others.
The AFL slashed each club’s soft cap by a whopping 30 per cent this year, leading to mass redundancies across the industry and dozens of assistant coaches out of work. But this relatively minor pay cut for players is a product of months of negotiations between Gillon McLachlan’s team and Paul Marsh’s team.
It’s understood that the players’ share of revenue will sore beyond 30 per cent in 2021 under this revised deal.
However, there will be a mechanism to capture any additional revenue above forecast. There will be a downside clause should COVID-19 have a significant impact on the AFL’s finances in 2021.
Put simply, there will be less money for players who are yet to find a home in 2021.
AFL player agents were briefed early on Wednesday afternoon regarding the changes.
Sources with knowledge of negotiations believe this deal is a win for players, who at one stage were facing a 15 to 20 per cent cut in salaries.
As first reported by foxfooty.com.au last Thursday, clubs will only be required to select a minimum of one player in December’s national draft, down from three.
Change in List Size numbers2020 Total List Sizes: 38-47 | 2021 Total List Sizes: 37-44
2020 Primary List: 38-40 | 2021 Primary List: 36-38
2020 Cat A Rookies: 0-6 | 2021 Cat A Rookies: 0-6
2020 Cat B Rookies: 0-3 | 2021 Cat B Rookies: 0-2
https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-news-2020-salary-cap-list-sizes-2021-new-pay-deal-cuts-loom-for-players/news-story/d8d8a781381383f77cbb76a8cb0fa310