Australian Football League Women's players have "won a big pay rise," with most players being rewarded with a 23% "hike" for season two of the competition, according to Eliza Sewell of the HERALD SUN. A two-year pay deal was struck ahead of AFLW's first season, but "after players spent more than their contracted nine hours per week at clubs" this season, the AFL agreed to a new deal. Tier 1 players received a 17.6% bump, from A$17,000 ($13,117) to A$20,000 ($15,432). Tier 2 player received raises from A$12,000 ($9,259) to A$14,500 ($11,188) (up 20%). The base wage is now A$10,500 ($8,101), up from A$8,500 ($6,558) (up 23%). The total player payment pool will "jump" A$500,000 ($385,800). The players will commit 13-15 hours per week during preseason and 10 hours in season. Matchday hours are "on top of the 10-hour week." Clubs also have a "marquee budget they can allocate to their most marketable players," ranging from A$5,000 ($3,858) to A$10,000 ($7,716) per player, with a cap of A$40,000 ($30,864) per team. Players signed 24-week contracts, which include "two weeks of annual leave" (HERALD SUN, 11/2). In Melbourne, Caroline Wilson reported AFL Players' Association CEO Paul Marsh said that the players' pay raises "were not connected with some of the bumper TV ratings and bigger-than-predicted attendances that highlighted year one." He said, "While players were willing to do more in year one to increase their skills and develop as footballers, we were of the view that players must be paid for the hours actually performed." The revised deal also includes giving clubs the ability to cut their total ambassador agreements from A$10,000 to A$5,000, and those promotional and marketing payments "are no longer exclusive to marquee players but can be spread across all players." The AFLW on Friday will introduce 75 new players at its induction camp (THE AGE, 11/2).
HEAVIER FINES: Wilson also reported AFL players "could face heavier fines" under a new AFL player code of conduct being negotiated by the AFLPA and head office. As part of the review, the AFLPA has "pushed for more influence in player disciplinary matters and the AFL has looked to simplify and clarify the player disciplinary process." The "long-standing push" to rewrite the code of conduct comes with several clubs, "frustrated at the thicket of red tape presented by the player disciplinary system, pushing for change." While the debate about fines is "just one small piece of the review into the code of conduct, the AFLPA fears the AFL could succumb to public pressure and media scrutiny as it looks to re-design the off-field disciplinary process" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 11/1).
TACKLING GAMBLING: In Melbourne, Tom Minear reported AFL Chair Richard Goyder said that there is a "real problem" with AFL clubs profiting off problem gamblers who put their money into poker machines. Goyder, who has said that he "hates" pokies, said that the "custodians of the game" needed to tackle the reliance of clubs on pokies, as well as the league's close relationships with betting companies. All Victorian clubs except North Melbourne have poker machine businesses, "reaping millions of dollars in profit." Goyder: "The reason I'm concerned about it is ... most of the profits from poker machines come from problem gamblers, and therein lies the real problem" (HERALD SUN, 11/2).
