Australia’s top 50 earners in the sports world made A$164M combined in the last year, according to FOX SPORTS. But it is "not a footy star topping the list."
According to BRW, NBA Golden State Warriors center Andrew Bogut made the most with A$16.2M "thanks to securing a big contract."
The first footy player entering the top 50 list "comes in way down in No.43" in Waratahs player Israel Folau, who brought in A$1.5M after winning the Super Rugby title.
Australian Football League player Gary Ablett (47th) "is the only other footy name in the list." The list proved that the U.S. "is where the big dollars are at," with the top seven Aussies -- Bogut, Adam Scott, Jason Day, Marcos Ambrose, Tim Cahill, Grant Balfour, and Patty Mills -- "all making their millions from playing sport in America." Shane Watson topped the list of highest-earning cricketers (A$4.5M), eclipsing Mitchell Johnson (10th overall, A$4.1M), Michael Clarke (11th, A$4M) and David Warner (12th, A$3.8M). Few "would count surfing as one of the richer sports out there, but BRW confirms that Aussie surfers are making bank on tour." World champ Mick Fanning is the top earning surfer at No. 19, "raking in cash from his time in the water, major sponsorship deals and royalties from his interest in a sandal that has a built-in bottle opener, of all things." Only two female athletes "were represented among Australia’s top 50 highest earners."
Surfing world champion Stephanie Gilmore ranked 39th -- 20 places and A$950,000 behind male counterpart Fanning -- while golfer Karrie Webb ranked 50th with A$1.28M (FOX SPORTS, 2/18).
