The 2026 AFL premiers, Brisbane, receive a reported A$1.1 million overall payment, including A$500,000 allocated to eligible players. Runners-up Fremantle receive A$600,000, with A$300,000 for players, while losing preliminary finalists receive A$150,000 each.
The player prize money is distributed across eligible AFL lists under the collective bargaining agreement rather than divided only among Grand Final players. Additional finals payments, player salaries, individual bonuses and the separate McClelland Trophy prize are not included in the premiership payment.
The 2026 AFL premiers receive more than simply the Premiership Cup and flag. There is also a significant financial reward, although AFL prize money works differently from the winner’s cheque seen in many individual sports.
For 2026, the premiership-winning club receives a reported A$1.1 million prize payment. Of that amount, A$500,000 is allocated to the club’s players.
The Grand Final runners-up receive A$600,000 overall, with A$300,000 forming the player prize-money allocation. The two clubs eliminated in the preliminary finals also share in the AFL player prize-money system.
That distinction matters. The A$1.1 million headline figure for the premiers is not a cheque divided only between the 23 players who appear in the Grand Final.
Instead, the AFL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement sets out a separate player prize-money pool and requires the relevant money to be redistributed across players on the eligible clubs’ AFL lists.
All figures in this guide are in Australian dollars unless stated otherwise.
Embed from Getty ImagesHow much prize money do the AFL premiers receive?
The 2026 AFL premiers receive a reported A$1.1 million in total prize money.
Brisbane Lions claimed the 2026 premiership after defeating Fremantle 96–89 at the MCG, completing a third consecutive premiership.
World in Sport’s 2026 AFL Grand Final report covers how Brisbane completed their comeback.
The financial breakdown is important:
| 2026 finish | Reported overall payment | Player prize money |
|---|---|---|
| Premiers | A$1.1 million | A$500,000 |
| Grand Final runners-up | A$600,000 | A$300,000 |
| Losing preliminary finalists | A$300,000 each* | A$150,000 each |
Reports described *The A$300,000 overall preliminary-final payment as part of the revised 2026 finals prize structure. The A$150,000 player allocation for each losing preliminary finalist follows the A$1.1 million player pool specified under the current collective bargaining arrangement.
The player amounts therefore total A$1.1 million:
A$500,000 for the premiers, A$300,000 for the runners-up and A$150,000 for each of the two losing preliminary finalists.
That is the important figure when answering how much AFL players receive for progressing deep into the finals.
Do the premiership players split A$500,000?
The premiership club’s players share A$500,000, but it should not simply be divided by the number of players who took the field in the Grand Final.
The AFL and AFLPA Collective Bargaining Agreement states that a A$1.1 million prize-money pool is distributed to the clubs finishing in the top four and then redistributed to players on those clubs’ AFL lists.
The agreement requires distribution on an equitable basis using the model applied after the 2022 season, unless the AFL and AFL Players’ Association agree to change it.
That means the payment covers eligible listed players rather than functioning as a simple Grand Final match bonus exclusively for those selected on the day.
The published CBA does not give a universal fixed payment that every premiership player receives.
As a result, claims that each player automatically receives A$500,000 divided by 23 can be misleading.
How much do the Grand Final runners-up receive?
The 2026 Grand Final runners-up receive a reported A$600,000 overall.
Of that, A$300,000 is allocated to their player prize-money pool.
Fremantle therefore received the runners-up payment after losing the 2026 decider to Brisbane.
The Dockers had reached the Grand Final after their dramatic preliminary-final victory, covered in World in Sport’s 2026 AFL preliminary-finals report.
The difference between first and second is substantial.
The premiers receive A$500,000 for their players, compared with A$300,000 for the losing Grand Finalists.
Again, those figures represent collective player allocations rather than a guaranteed individual payment for every player who appears in the match.
What do the preliminary finalists receive?
The two teams that lose their preliminary finals receive A$150,000 each for their players.
That completes the A$1.1 million player prize-money pool:
| Final position | Player allocation |
|---|---|
| Premiers | A$500,000 |
| Grand Final runners-up | A$300,000 |
| Losing preliminary finalist | A$150,000 |
| Losing preliminary finalist | A$150,000 |
| Total | A$1.1 million |
This top-four distribution has its roots in the previous AFL collective bargaining system. The 2017–2022 CBA also provided a A$1.1 million premiership and finals prize-money pool for the top four clubs.
The current 2023–2027 agreement retained the A$1.1 million player pool while specifying that the 2022 distribution model would continue unless the parties agreed otherwise.
How did the 2026 finals prize-money system change?
The wider 2026 AFL finals system introduced additional prize payments outside the top-four player pool.
That followed the expansion of the finals format to include the new Wildcard Round. World in Sport explained the competition structure and route to the Grand Final in its 2026 AFL finals guide.
Reported 2026 payments included A$55,000 for teams eliminated in the Wildcard Round and A$75,000 for Wildcard winners subsequently eliminated in the elimination finals.
Teams finishing fifth and sixth were reported to receive A$100,000.
These broader club payments should not be confused with the CBA’s A$1.1 million player prize-money pool. The latter specifically covers players from the four clubs that reach the preliminary-final stage.
Does the winning club keep all A$1.1 million?
No.
The reported A$1.1 million premiership award includes the A$500,000 allocated to the winning club’s players.
That leaves an important distinction between money connected with the club and money reserved for player distribution.
The same principle applies to the Grand Final runners-up. Their reported A$600,000 overall payment includes A$300,000 allocated to players.
So when a headline says the AFL premiers “win A$1.1 million”, it does not mean the club can simply retain the full sum as unrestricted revenue.
Nor does it mean an individual premiership player receives anything close to A$1.1 million.
Is AFL prize money the same as player salary?
No. Prize money and salary are separate parts of an AFL player’s earnings.
Regular salaries and other player payments operate through the AFL’s Total Player Payments framework. Finals prize money represents an additional performance-related distribution.
Under the current CBA, AFL and AFLW players collectively receive 31.7 per cent of assessable football revenue. The agreement covers salaries, benefits and numerous other employment conditions alongside the finals prize-money arrangements.
A player’s annual earnings can therefore include several different elements.
They may receive their contracted salary, applicable match payments, permitted bonuses or commercial payments and, if their club reaches the required position, a share of finals prize money.
Those categories should not be combined when describing the official AFL Grand Final prize.
Embed from Getty ImagesWhat about individual premiership bonuses?
Individual contracts can contain performance-related provisions, but there is no publicly confirmed universal AFL rule giving every premiership player an identical additional private bonus.
Any contractual incentive must therefore be kept separate from the central prize-money structure.
The confirmed central system provides the A$500,000 player allocation for the premiers.
World in Sport does not add estimated contract bonuses, sponsorship earnings or commercial opportunities to that figure because they vary between players and are not part of the standard AFL premiership prize.
Winning a Grand Final may also create subsequent commercial opportunities for a player or club. Merchandise, sponsorship activity and appearances can generate additional revenue, but those earnings are not the same as official prize money.
How does the McClelland Trophy prize differ?
The McClelland Trophy has its own A$1 million prize pool and should not be added automatically to the AFL Grand Final payment.
The award recognises combined AFL and AFLW performance across the relevant season.
Under the current CBA, its A$1 million prize is distributed as:
| Recipient | Payment |
|---|---|
| AFL players | A$250,000 |
| AFLW players | A$250,000 |
| Club | A$500,000 |
It is therefore a separate competition award rather than part of the Grand Final prize money.
That distinction prevents the different AFL financial awards from being incorrectly combined into one supposed premiership purse.
How has AFL Grand Final prize money changed?
The player prize pool itself has shown considerable continuity.
The previous 2017–2022 CBA provided A$1.1 million for the top four AFL clubs, with the money redistributed to their players.
The 2023–2027 agreement retained a A$1.1 million pool and linked its distribution to the system used at the end of 2022.
What changed more noticeably in 2026 was the wider finals payment structure surrounding that core player pool, including payments connected with the new Wildcard Round.
That is why comparisons between different seasons need care. The headline amount received by a club and the CBA-protected player pool are related, but they are not interchangeable.
For more guides explaining how sporting payouts differ between events, visit World in Sport’s prize money hub or follow the site’s wider AFL coverage.
How much did the 2026 AFL premiers receive?
The simplest answer is that 2026 premiers Brisbane receive a reported A$1.1 million overall premiership payment.
Within that figure, A$500,000 is allocated to the players.
Grand Final runners-up Fremantle receive a reported A$600,000, including A$300,000 for their players.
The two losing preliminary finalists receive A$150,000 each in player prize money, completing the A$1.1 million pool covered by the AFL and AFLPA collective bargaining agreement.
The exact amount received by an individual premiership player should not be calculated simply by dividing A$500,000 by the Grand Final team. The CBA provides for the money to be distributed equitably across players on the relevant AFL list.
That makes AFL Grand Final prize money a collective reward rather than a conventional winner-takes-all cheque.
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