South Australia's Football League and Players Reach Agreement, Averting Strike

South Australia's football league has avoided having strike action disrupt play this season after months of negotiations with players about wages.

The SANFL Players' Association met on Sunday afternoon to discuss an ongoing decline in players' pay over the past 20 years, which a survey of members found amounted to an average of $8 an hour before tax.

The association had considered pushing for a collective bargaining agreement, but during the meeting, a majority of its board members voted to pursue a memorandum of understanding with the SANFL.

Association president Matt Crocker said members had an informative discussion with the SANFL during the meeting.

"The SANFL presented what they thought could be a bit of a model, looking to aim to sign something before the end of the year," he said.

"But as we've made clear with the players as well, we're going to take them along the journey, make sure that they're comfortable with whatever we ultimately do sign with them."

Mr Crocker said the salary cap was one of the key items discussed but details of the memorandum were yet to be finalised.

"That's something we'll discuss as a board and how we sort of look to implement that in an agreement, but obviously acknowledging the SANFL that what they would prefer is that it continues just to be set by the Football Commission," he said.

The players' association estimates, on average, a SANFL player should have earned a combined $18,385 in 2024 through a minimum wage salary plus 12 per cent superannuation and annual leave benefits.

But a survey of 234 players in 2025 found the average SANFL player earned about $5,000 before tax, despite committing about 16 hours per week to training and playing for 39 weeks a year.

Speaking outside the meeting but before the vote, SANFL chief executive officer Darren Chandler told ABC News the league "maintained its position" on players' pay.

"The most important thing is that we've got a sustainable competition, that our clubs remain viable and sustainable, and that we continue to put the best competition we possibly can," he said.

"The SANFL Football Commission reviews the player payments on a regular basis."

Mr Chandler said the SANFL would "love to have a formal structured relationship" with the players.

"We have obviously for a number of years, in the history of the competition for that matter, worked closely with the clubs, with the clubs representing the views of the players," Mr Chandler said.

"If we can formalise a model in this day and age which allows the players to have their opinions heard on a number of things related to the SANFL competition, then we're happy to do that."

'Big next step'

After the meeting, Norwood vice-captain and Players' Association board member Jack Heard said the memorandum of understanding was a "big next step" for the relationship between the league and players.

"[Pay] is always going to be an important issue but the way the PA board sees things is it's only one part of the bigger picture and we're looking for conditions, mental health and wellbeing support, among a bunch of other things to give SANFL players the best experience possible."