SANFL players consider industrial action as hourly salary drops to $8

Players across multiple South Australian National Football League (SANFL) clubs are contemplating collective action, including a potential strike, as negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement have stalled. The SANFL Players' Association met before the season to discuss this possibility, driven by a reported 50% decline in player pay over the last two decades.

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I love playing in the SANFL. We are the second best competition outside of the AFL in Australia. We want it to stay that way. The only way it does is if we get the best players wanting to play here, and the financial compensation that players receive definitely plays into that.

When adjusted for inflation, the hourly salary for SANFL players has fallen to just one-third of Australia's national minimum wage. Woodville-West Torrens forward Daniel Sladojevic highlighted that players are questioning whether their current compensation adequately reflects the significant time commitment involved in training and playing. He emphasized the importance of fair financial compensation to attract and retain top talent in the league, which is considered the second-best competition outside the AFL.

Recent data reveals a stark financial reality for these athletes. A 2025 survey of 234 players showed the average SANFL player earned approximately $5,000 before tax annually. This figure, despite a commitment of about 16 hours per week for 39 weeks a year, equates to an hourly rate of $8. This is significantly below the current national minimum wage of $24.95 per hour, which is set to increase in July.

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Players naturally actually ask themselves whether the current arrangements are adequately compensating them for those commitments.

Sports law academic Matt Nichol believes the players' association has grounds to engage federal labor law to compel the league into a collective bargaining agreement. He points out that classifying players as permanent part-time employees under Australian law grants them statutory protections. Nichol argues that the notion of sport being a unique exception does not hold up well under legal scrutiny, suggesting that players could leverage the Fair Work Act if the SANFL continues to operate under the radar of federal labor law regarding wages.

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You're activating the Fair Work Act by categorising players as employees, so they get [its] statutory protections. If the players don't challenge the wages the [SANFL is] able to get under the radar of federal labour law. The argument that sport is unique or special doesn't hold too well when it comes under legal review.