From ABC Sport. Reported by Marnie Vinall
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Some VFL women's players say they feel undervalued in the wake of their player payments being cut for the 2025 season. (Getty: Josh Chadwick)
In short:
Port Melbourne VFL women's players were told this week their pay would be completely cut following a budget review of the women's program.
A club source at Essendon said the club was also stopping match payments to its VFLW players.
Players said it was sad to see the de-prioritisation of women's programs across the VFL landscape.
abc.net.au/news/vflw-programs-cut-player-payments-2025-season/104953868
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Port Melbourne VFLW players have been left "frustrated" and "disappointed" after their payments were cut by the club for the 2025 season, including contracted players.
On Monday night, players were brought into a meeting with the club CEO and two board members, who told the group they won't be getting paid this year after the decision was made to cut the budget for the women's program.
Players said it's a reflection of de-prioritisation of women's football across the VFL landscape.
This week, Essendon VFLW players were also informed by their club they would no longer be receiving match payments for this season, previously a standard $70, according to a club source.
The justification given to Port Melbourne players was two-fold: the women's team didn't have a major sponsor for this year, and the money for the program would be better spent creating a professional environment.
Previously the club has used almost all of the salary cap during the year on player payments, including base and match payments, which could range from $25 to $100 a game, a player told ABC Sport.
VFLW standalone clubs have a salary cap of $40,000, which is $30,000 for AFLW-aligned clubs.
Port Melbourne won the premiership in VFLW premiership in 2023. (Josh Chadwick: Getty/AFL Photos)
Each player is also required to get at least one player sponsor, with that money going directly to the women's program.
Players told ABC Sport they were told any major sponsor brought on would have to be a club sponsor, rather than exclusive to the women's program, while the men had their own sponsor following an already-agreed-upon deal.
While one player told ABC the payments weren't obviously anyone's main form of income, the pay helped with tax purposes, including claiming boots and travel to and from training.
'Feeling a bit undervalued'
"[We're] pretty flat, a bit angry and frustrated. A lot of it also came with the fact that, we went in thinking that if we were going to get our whole pay cut, the men would get a bit of a cut, but they said that they weren't touching the men's pay… [So, ] just feeling a bit undervalued," one player* told ABC Sport.
The men's side recently signed former Essendon captain Dyson Heppell on a two-year contract for the 2025 and 2026 seasons in a dual role as player and community ambassador, former Western Bulldogs coach Brendan McCartney as senior coach, and Essendon great James Hird in a director of coaching role.
Furthermore, the Herald Sun reported Channel 7 is set to broadcast VFL games on Saturday night, moving from Sunday afternoon to the prime-time slot of 7pm on 7mate, with Port Melbourne's North Port Oval the potential singular venue used after the ground had its lights upgraded to broadcast quality three years ago.
Port Melbourne and Essendon players say player match payments have been cut for the 2025 season. (Getty: Josh Chadwick)
"It's hard when that feels like a juxtaposition with what we're being provided, and then what's being said," the player said, who felt the club overall was very supportive of the women's program but some board decisions didn't align with this.
"I guess these kind of situations do remind you that it is a business at the end of the day, and that if the men are the main money makers, then they're the ones who are prioritised," she said.
The player added that it was especially "a really hard pill to swallow" and disappointing given the success of the program. The women won the premiership in 2023, whereas Essendon won the previous year.
"It's really difficult when there are clubs that are supported holistically by AFLW programs. Like Essendon have brilliant grounds and gyms and I do feel that standalone clubs like Willie (Williamstown) and Port and Darebin do find it really difficult — even in the men's — with a lack of resources. And then obviously, when you switch to women's landscape, that's even more difficult," she said.
Another player* said while the group would be OK with not being paid if it meant money was being poured into resources, they were yet to see progress in this area. She cited having just one physio overseeing all 45 players and having to train at Lagoon Reserve this week, which is a dog park.
"If they could show that they were putting our pay into our program and our resources, I think we would be more okay with it. But yeah, that's also frustrating. We're not even seeing any improvements in the program. In fact, it's gone down from last year, the quality of it," the player said.
Deserve to be financially rewarded
The player added they loved the club and playing at Port Melbourne but it was "sad to see what was happening across VFLW".
She said not many clubs pay match payments anymore, as intention of financial compensation has declined across the landscape. This, she said, didn't reflect the demands of being a VFL player, including time and energy given to clubs.
Hawthorn were the first club to pay VFLW players in the statewide competition, back in 2018, when the club was pushing for an AFLW license.
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At the time, then-Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett said at the women's launch that the players "won't become millionaires overnight" but that they deserved to be financially rewarded for the time and effort they gave to the club.
"I hope that other clubs will follow so that your competitors and their efforts will also be recognised," Kennett said.
In 2023, a year after Hawthorn entered the AFLW competition, the club transitioned its VFLW license to the Box Hill Hawks, following the same set-up as the men's.
In 2021, Port Melbourne became an affiliate team of Richmond after the Tigers cut their VFL women's program in a move to prioritise the AFLW team in the wake of the COVID-19 soft cap cuts.
That arrangement won't be renewed for the 2025 season.
Essendon and Port Melbourne were contacted for comment.
* Both players quoted in the story chose to remain anonymous to avoid any potential issues with the club and league.
