how much do afl coaches get paid
AFL senior coaches are generally paid in the mid–six figures, with the very top coaches pushing towards (or just under) the million‑dollar mark per year, while the lowest‑paid senior coaches are closer to the mid‑hundreds of thousands.
Below is a detailed, SEO‑friendly explainer in the style you asked for.
How much do AFL coaches get paid?
Quick Scoop
- Most AFL senior coaches earn somewhere in the $450,000–$900,000+ per year bracket, depending on experience, performance and market power.
- A couple of super‑established premiership coaches are tipped to be at or near the very top end of that range, with heavy incentives and long‑term deals.
- Assistant coaches earn significantly less and are often described as overworked and undervalued, especially in recent coaching‑crisis discussions.
- From 2024 onward, part of a senior coach’s salary (around 20%) can sit outside the club “soft cap”, and clubs are getting extra staff spending room through 2027.
What does a senior AFL coach actually earn?
There’s no official public list of every coach’s exact pay packet, but media analysis and talkback rankings give a pretty clear ballpark. In a 2024 on‑air ranking of “what they should be paid”, one prominent list slotted current coaches into salary bands like this:
- Bottom of the ladder: around $450,000 per year for struggling or under‑pressure coaches.
- Lower‑mid tier: $500,000–$650,000 for newer or rebuilding coaches still proving themselves.
- Solid finals‑contender types: $700,000–$900,000 depending on track record and market profile.
That list is opinion-based, but it lines up with how insiders talk: even the “lowest‑paid” senior coach is still on a very strong salary, but not in the same stratosphere as star players or big‑sport coaches in the US.
A simple way to think of it: a standard senior AFL coach earns like a high‑ranking executive; a premiership coach at a big club earns like a small‑company CEO.
How the AFL soft cap shapes coach pay
A big part of “how much do AFL coaches get paid” isn’t just the number on the contract, it’s where that money sits in the club’s football department soft cap.
What is the soft cap?
- It’s a cap on what clubs can spend on football staff: coaches, high‑performance, analysts, medical and so on.
- It’s designed to stop rich clubs from massively outspending the rest on back‑room staff.
From 2025 onwards, that soft cap is being lifted over several years:
- Around $7.675 million in 2025.
- Rising with additional increases in 2026 and 2027 to push clubs beyond $8 million in available staff spend.
Special treatment for senior coaches
The league now lets clubs count only part of the senior coach’s pay inside the cap:
- About 20% of a senior AFL coach’s salary can sit outside the soft cap for both AFL and AFLW.
- That effectively makes it easier for clubs to pay their senior coach more without squeezing assistants and support staff as much.
On top of that, there are marketing/service agreements being used to top up senior coaches with sponsorship and promotional money that can sit outside the cap, further increasing earning potential beyond the raw “salary figure” people talk about.
Senior coaches vs assistant coaches
A lot of the current “coaching crisis” talk online is actually driven by assistants, not the big‑name bosses. Recent fan and media discussions have painted this picture:
- Assistant coaches work extremely long hours (review, opposition analysis, line meetings, travel) for much less money than the senior coach.
- Several commentators and fans argue they’re underpaid relative to their workload , especially given the pressure and job insecurity.
- Some fans bluntly say that AFL executives and TV commentators look overpaid compared with key club staff like assistant coaches and fitness heads.
Exact numbers for assistants vary club to club and aren’t public, but the theme in recent forums and articles is clear: senior coaches are very well rewarded; assistants feel squeezed and are pushing for better pay and conditions.
Snapshot: typical pay bands (unofficial, but useful)
Here’s a rough “feel” guide drawn from media estimates and discussion. These are indicative bands, not official salaries:
| Role | Typical band (AUD) | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Senior AFL coach – lower end | ≈ $450,000–$550,000 | [5]Struggling club, newer coach, or under‑pressure tenure. | [5]
| Senior AFL coach – mid tier | ≈ $600,000–$800,000 | [5]Established coach, competitive side, reasonable finals record. | [5]
| Senior AFL coach – top tier | Up to around $900,000+ with incentives, plus marketing top‑ups. | [1][5]High‑profile, premiership‑winning, or “face of the club” coach. | [1][5]
| Assistant AFL coaches | Well below senior coach money, often described as underpaid. | [8]Heavy workload, limited job security, growing discontent about pay. | [8]
| AFLW senior coaches | Tied to a smaller soft cap but gaining similar 20% outside‑cap treatment. | [7]League trying to make coaching a more attractive profession. | [7]
Forum chatter and “latest news” vibes
Because your question leans into “latest news” and forum discussion , here’s how the conversation has been trending:
- Coaching soft cap increases and the 20% outside‑cap rule for senior coaches are hot topics in 2024–2026 discussions, seen as a win for coaches and footy departments.
- Fans on AFL forums often react with a mix of envy and scepticism when pay figures get mentioned, especially when comparing football staff to “normal” jobs.
- Some threads specifically focus on assistants as overworked and undervalued , fuelling talk of a “coaching crisis” where good operators are leaving or thinking about other careers.
One popular sentiment: “Head coaches are doing well; assistants and support staff need a real bump if the league wants to keep top talent.”
TL;DR – how much do AFL coaches get paid?
- Senior AFL coaches: roughly mid‑six figures , stretching up toward $900k+ at the high end, before any marketing top‑ups or incentives.
- Assistant coaches: significantly less, with growing concern they’re underpaid for the hours and pressure.
- League changes to the soft cap and special rules for senior coaches are already boosting earning potential into 2026–2027.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.