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.
