Eight AFL players top $1m

Gold Coast Suns skipper Gary Ablett is believed to be one of the AFL's $1 million men. Picture: Darren England. Source: The Courier-Mail

THE number of AFL players earning more than $1 million rocketed to a record eight last year.

The highest number of million-dollar-earners previously was two in 2008 and 2011.

AFL figures released yesterday revealed the dramatic rise in player salaries on the back of the league's expansion and record broadcast rights deal.

The AFL did not release the names of the eight players, although champion midfielder and Gold Coast captain Gary Ablett, Saints' skipper Nick Riewoldt and Greater Western Sydney midfielder Tom Scully are believed to be among the top earners.

One AFL player agent suggested heavily front-ended contracts could have propelled the GWS co-captains, Callan Ward and Phil Davis, into the top bracket.

Lance Franklin, Chris Judd, Matthew Pavlich and Adam Goodes were other players tipped to be among the leading earners.

Code-jumper Israel Folau, who quit GWS in November after just 13 games and one season in the AFL, was also reported to be one of the league's biggest earners last year.

But the AFL said only match payments and ASA agreements were included in the figures and not third-party arrangements.

The figures, which will be included in the AFL's 2012 annual report, also showed that 111 players earned more than $400,000 last year.

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