'Angry and frustrated': VFLW player payments cut across women's programs

Melbourne Port VFLW (Victorian Football League Women's) players are "frustrated" and "disappointed" by the club's decision to cut salaries for the 2025 season, including those who have already signed contracts. The club informed players at a meeting on Monday evening that no salaries would be paid this year due to budget cuts to the women's program. Players believe this reflects a broader decline in the value placed on women's football across the VFL.

According to club sources, Essendon VFLW players were also informed this week that they would no longer receive match payments this season, which were previously set at $70 per game. Melbourne Port cited two reasons: first, the women's team does not have a major sponsor this year; and second, the funds allocated to the program would be better used to create a more professional environment. Previously, the club dedicated almost its entire salary cap to player compensation, including base salaries and match payments, which one player said could range from $25 to $100 per game.

The salary cap for independent VFLW clubs is $40,000, while for clubs affiliated with the AFLW (Australian Football League Women's), it is $30,000. Each player is also required to secure at least one player sponsor, with the funds going directly to the women's program. Players said they were told that any major sponsor must be a club sponsor, not an exclusive sponsor of the women's program, while the men's team has its own sponsors upon reaching an agreement.

One player told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that while the payments were obviously not anyone's primary source of income, the money helped with tax returns, including claiming expenses for boots and transportation to and from training. The player stated, "We are feeling very frustrated, a bit angry, and disappointed. What's even more frustrating is that we thought if our pay was being cut altogether, the men's pay would be cut, but they said they wouldn't touch the men's pay... it makes us feel a little undervalued."

Melbourne Port's men's team recently signed former Essendon captain Dyson Heppell to a two-year contract in a dual role as a player and community ambassador, and also hired former Western Bulldogs coach Brendan McCartney as head coach, as well as Essendon legend James Hird as coaching director. Furthermore, the Herald Sun reported that Channel Seven plans to broadcast VFL games on Saturday nights, moving from Sunday afternoons to a prime-time 7 pm slot on 7mate, with Melbourne Port's North Port Oval likely to become the sole venue, as the ground's lights were upgraded to broadcast quality three years ago.

The aforementioned player stated, "It's hard when all of that is contrasted against what we're getting and what the club is saying." She believes the club is generally very supportive of the women's program, but some board decisions are inconsistent with this. "I think these situations do remind us that at the end of the day it is still a business, and if the men's team is the main money earner, then they are going to be prioritized," she said. The player added that this was particularly "hard to swallow" given the program's success and felt disappointed. The women's team won the premiership in 2023, while Essendon won it the year before.

Another player said that they could accept not being paid if it meant the funds were being invested in resources, but they have not seen any progress in this regard. She cited the example of having only one physiotherapist for all 45 players, and that this week they had to train at Lagoon Reserve, a dog park. "If they could show that they were putting our pay into our program and resources, I think we'd be more accepting. But yeah, it's also frustrating. We haven't even seen any improvements to the program. If anything, it's gone down in quality from last year," the player said.

The player added that they love the club and playing at Melbourne Port, but it's "sad to see what's happening in the VFLW." She said that not many clubs are paying match payments anymore, as there is a decline in the willingness to financially compensate across the league. She said that this does not reflect the demands of being a VFL player, including the time and effort put into the club. Hawthorn was the first club to pay VFLW players across the state competition, back in 2018 when the club was bidding for an AFLW license.

At the time, then-Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett said at the launch of the women's team that the players "won't become millionaires overnight," but they should be financially rewarded for the time and effort they put into the club. "I hope other clubs follow suit so that your competitors and their efforts are also recognized," Kennett said. In 2023, a year after Hawthorn entered the AFLW competition, the club transitioned its VFLW license to Box Hill Hawks, following the same setup as the men's team.

In 2021, Melbourne Port became an affiliate of Richmond after the Tigers cut their VFL women's program to prioritize their AFLW team, in response to COVID-induced soft cap cuts. The arrangement will not be renewed for the 2025 season. Essendon and Melbourne Port have been contacted for comment.