Olusegun Taiye James
By the year 2025, the Australian Football League (AFL) has maintained its status as a high-octane spectacle, with the league’s most talented players commanding substantial pay. Due to the fact that contract arrangements and performance bonuses can cause precise figures to change, the following is an estimated look at the top 10 highest-paid Australian Football League players in the globe as of April 2025, based on any reports that are now available:
List Of Top 10 Highest Paid AFL Players In The World 2025
1. Brodie Grundy
Brodie Grundy, a fixture in the Australian Football League (AFL) for over a decade, remains a key character in 2025. Born on April 15, 1994, the 202cm-tall 31-year-old has a career of dominant hit-outs, great contested marking, and impressive ball-winning. Grundy joined the Collingwood Magpies as pick #18 in the 2012 AFL Draft from Sturt in the SANFL. His 2013 debut identified him as a promising prospect. Grundy reached the pinnacle of his Collingwood career in 2018 and 2019, winning two Copeland Trophies and being named All-Australian. His athleticism and ability to impact in the ruck and around the ground made him unique and valued.
2. Ben King
In the dynamic 2025 Australian Football League (AFL), Gold Coast Suns star Ben King towers literally and figuratively. The 202cm key forward has established himself as one of the league’s top young talents, a focal point of the Suns’ attacking flair, and a player who might influence the club’s future. Ben King and his identical twin brother Max (who plays for St Kilda) were highly regarded junior prospects born on July 7, 2000. King, the sixth overall pick in the 2018 AFL National Draft, joined the Gold Coast Suns with high expectations. His height, athleticism, good hands, and natural goal-kicking ability attracted a Suns team looking to ascend the AFL ladder.
3. Connor Rozee
One of the most dynamic and powerful figures in the Australian Football League (AFL) in the year 2025 is Connor Rozee, who stands out as a vivacious and prominent figure. Despite the fact that he is only 25 years old, the captain of Port Adelaide has already established himself as one of the most intriguing midfielders in the league. He is a player whose combination of explosive speed, smooth abilities, and developing leadership is essential to the Power’s goals.
4. Zak Butters
Within the pulsating atmosphere of the Australian Football League (AFL) in the year 2025, Zak Butters has firmly established himself as one of the most dynamic and influential midfielders in the game. Butters has a ravenous thirst for the competition, impeccable talents, and a leadership character that belies his 24 years of age, despite the fact that his frame is relatively compact at 181 centimeters. A player whose influence reaches far beyond the raw numbers, he is the unrelenting spark that ignites the motor that drives Port Adelaide. Butters, who was born on September 8, 2000, is originally from Bacchus Marsh, Victoria, and his aptitude was obvious even at an early age. his birthday is September 8. The explosive speed and outstanding ball-winning ability that would later become his trademarks were displayed by him while he was playing for the Western Jets in the TAC Cup. He polished his skills at this time.
5. Isaac Heeney
Isaac Heeney. The name makes me think of marks going high, bursts of speed through the middle of the field, and a constant attack on the ball. The 28-year-old has been an important part of the Sydney Swans for more than ten years, growing from a bright young forward to a dynamic and important midfielder who is now leading the Bloods in the 2025 AFL season. Heeney was born on May 5, 1996, in Maitland, New South Wales. He was a great young player who came up through the Sydney Swans Academy. He was a very popular possibility because he was very athletic and naturally good at football. The Melbourne Football Club made a bold move to get Heeney with their first pick in the 2014 AFL National Draft, which was number two overall. They were able to match the offer with their own first-round pick (18th overall), though, because that was how the school worked at the time. This made sure that the talented local player would play for the Swans.
6. Patrick Cripps
Patrick Cripps is a colossus for the Carlton Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL) in the year 2025. The AFL is a harsh and merciless arena. The co-captain is more than simply a midfielder; he is the personification of resiliency. He is a ball-winning machine, and his unwavering commitment and inspirational leadership have made him the uncontested heartbeat of the Blues. The influence that Cripps has had on Carlton and the larger competition is significant, and it continues to have an effect on the trajectory that the team is taking in the current season. Cripps has won the John Nicholls Medal five times and the Brownlow Medal the past two times.
7. Darcy Moore
In 2025, the Australian Football League (AFL) is a very competitive place, and Darcy Moore is a strong and inspiring figure for the Collingwood Football Club. The key defender, who is 203 cm tall, has grown into one of the best backs in the league and has been captain of the Magpies since 2023. Moore’s speed, ability to mark interceptions, and calm leadership are all important to Collingwood’s defense and their ongoing quest for premiership fame. Darcy Moore was born on January 25, 1996, and comes from a long line of football players. Because he is the son of Peter Moore, a Collingwood great and two-time Brownlow Medal winner, there has always been some pressure on him. Moore learned how to play football as a kid with the Ivanhoe Junior Football Club and the Kew Comets. He then moved up to the TAC Cup and led the Oakleigh Chargers to victory in 2014.
8. Clayton Oliver
In the Australian Football League (AFL) in 2025, Clayton Oliver is still a force that can’t be ignored for the Melbourne Demons. The midfielder, who is affectionately known as “Clarry,” is drawn to the Sherrin like a magnet. He is a contested ball beast whose high work rate and high handling numbers have made him one of the league’s most reliable and important players for almost a decade. Oliver’s rise to fame in the AFL began in Mooroopna, Victoria, where he was born on July 22, 1997. Early on, it was clear that he was talented, which is why the Murray Bushrangers picked him to play in the TAC Cup. There, he did so well that he won both the league and team best and fairest awards in 2015. Melbourne swooped in at the 2015 AFL National Draft and picked Oliver with the fourth overall pick because of his great play.
9. Marcus Bontempelli
Marcus Bontempelli is a giant for the Western Bulldogs in the Australian Football League (AFL) of 2025, which is always changing and challenging. The captain is more than just a midfielder; he or she is the perfect example of modern football greatness. They are a powerful ball-winner with great skills, a great scorer, and an inspiring leader who always lifts his team. Now in his tenth season, “The Bont” is still the Bulldogs’ main goal-setter and a player whose impact can be seen in every part of their game.
10. Tim Kelly
When it comes to coaching in the National Football League (NFL), Tim Kelly has established himself as a devoted and diverse coach over the course of a decade. Kelly, who is presently serving as the tight ends coach for the New York Giants, is well-known for his offensive prowess and his ability to interact with players. His progression through the professional football environment demonstrates a dedication to development as well as a wide variety of coaching experiences over the course of his career.
