After months of wrangling, the AFL has agreed to a new five-year pay deal with the AFL Players Association. Details of the agreement is understood to be worth at least $1.144 billion and covers the 2012-16 seasons.
AFL CEO, Andrew Demetriou confirmed the new agreement is effectively the same as the $1.144 billion deal rejected by the players earlier this year, with one major concession from the AFL. The agreement, which is current until the end of the 2016 season, will be reviewed after three years, allowing the players to ask for more money if the AFL’s revenue is higher than estimated.
The AFL had originally wanted the deal locked in for a maximum of five years with no mid-agreement review. Demetriou said the deal made AFL players the best-rewarded athletes in Australian sport.