Whateley: Coaches should earn significantly more than the best AFL players and execs

Gerard Whateley • May 21st, 2025 1:44 pm

As the AFL looks to amend the soft cap that collapsed as an austerity measure during Covid, wasn’t restored as an equalisation device and has become the source of deep resentment – the simplest and fairest solution remains removing the entire senior coaches wage from the cap.

Look around the competition right now and tell me the most important money spent and most vital figure within the ecosystem isn’t the head coach.

Luke Beveridge has pulled off the most brilliant 12-month reinvention having staked his job on the need to evolve his team against better judgment elsewhere.

He’s about to be rewarded with a new deal.

Simon Goodwin would appear to be attempting the same manoeuvre.

Michael Voss might be privately contemplating whether it’s necessary on his patch.

Port Adelaide has crippled its own operation by hobbling its long-time successful coach.

Damien Hardwick is doing precisely what Gold Coast imagined and Craig McRae’s team lives the ethos he has instilled before our very eyes.

And the source of greatest fascination – who will Tasmania choose as the central appointment?

For what the senior coaching job is in the modern era and all that surrounds it, there should be no cap on earning capacity.

For their intellect, passion and the unrelenting pressure they should earn significantly more than the players on their watch and certainly more than the executives at the AFL.

An emerging ruckman can be the subject of a Godfather offer but the best senior coach cannot, essentially because of the cap settings.

That should be rectified.

Removing the senior coach’s wage from the soft cap will immediately raise the levels of assistant coaches to something closer to reflecting the demands of the workload and their importance to the game.

A free market might lead to clamouring for the best minds… but it’s the best money a club can spend.

If you can’t leverage that money back in the marketplace then you’re not trying.

I don’t think you’ll see the best coaches rushing to the exits to join the richest clubs. Look around the profession - our senior coaches aren’t mercenaries.

They’re loyal to a fault.

It’s time to remove the artificial ceiling on their earning capacity.

Because frankly they’re worth it.

Of all the dollars spent in footy… none is more important than those spent on the senior coach at your club.