Lachie Neale salary: what the public record shows and how it compares to national earnings
Lachie Neale salary is not publicly disclosed in official sources. This article explains how AFL player pay sits against the national salary index, state and industry benchmarks.
No precise public figure for Lachie Neale's salary is available from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Fair Work Ombudsman, or Fair Work Commission. His earnings are likely far above the national line of $108,352 per year.
Lachie Neale salary: what the public record shows
If you searched for "lachie neale salary" expecting a neat figure from the Australian Bureau of Statistics or Fair Work Ombudsman, you won't find one. Lachie Neale, the Brisbane Lions midfielder and Brownlow Medal winner, is paid under the AFL Players' Collective Bargaining Agreement, not a modern award. That means his salary is not published in any government pay guide or earnings database.
But that doesn't mean the question is unanswerable. We can use the Salary Index to understand where a player of his calibre would sit against the national line. The index works by dividing a yearly gross salary by the national full-time adult ordinary-time earnings benchmark, then multiplying by 100. That benchmark, from the Australian Bureau of Statistics' Average Weekly Earnings, was $2,083.70 per week in May 2026, annualised to $108,352. That's index 100.
State and industry differences: a lens for comparison
Even without a confirmed figure, we can look at how different states and industries compare. For example, the [states](/states] page shows that the highest state index is the Australian Capital Territory at 109.9 (annualised $119,090), while the lowest is Tasmania at 88.6 ($96,083). Even the highest industry index is mining at 154.7. A star AFL player like Lachie Neale would likely earn many times that, but we can't give a number without a public source.
How the national minimum wage and awards relate
If Lachie Neale were covered by a modern award, his base rate would be at least the national minimum wage: from 1 July 2026, the national minimum wage is $26.44 per hour, $1,004.90 per week, annualised $52,255, index 48.2. But AFL players are not covered by awards. The Fair Work Ombudsman's pay guides list minimum rates for health professionals and other awards, but not for AFL. The Health Services Award increased from 1 October 2026 for health professionals, but not for footballers.
Super and tax considerations
If we had a figure, we could apply the super guarantee of 12% from 1 July 2026 (maximum contribution base $270,830). Resident tax for 2026-27: nil to $18,200; 15% to $45,000; 45% above $190,000; 37% to $190,000. Medicare levy 2%. But without a salary, we can't calculate.
Conclusion
The search for "lachie neale salary" returns no official government data. The salary index is a useful tool for comparing any known salary to the national line, but for Lachie Neale, we must rely on media reports, not public records. If you want to compare your own salary, use the Salary Index to see where you sit against the national benchmark.
FAQs
(FAQs are in the JSON array above, not in body.)
Questions people ask
What is Lachie Neale's actual salary?
No official public figure for Lachie Neale's salary is available from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Fair Work Ombudsman, or Fair Work Commission. AFL player salaries are negotiated under the AFL Players' Collective Bargaining Agreement and are not published in the same way as award wages. Media reports often estimate star player salaries, but those figures are not confirmed by government sources.
How does an AFL player's salary compare to the national average?
The national full-time adult ordinary-time earnings benchmark is $2,083.70 per week, or $108,352 per year (index 100). Even a modest AFL player salary is likely several times that figure. For context, the mining industry has the highest industry index at 154.7, while accommodation and food services is lowest at 72.5. AFL player salaries would sit well above any industry index, but no official comparison is possible without a confirmed figure.
Why can't I find Lachie Neale's salary on Fair Work Ombudsman or ABS websites?
Fair Work Ombudsman publishes minimum pay rates for modern awards and the national minimum wage. The ABS publishes average earnings and employee income data. Neither organisation collects or publishes individual salaries of professional athletes. AFL players are covered by a specific enterprise agreement (the AFL CBA), not by modern awards, so their pay is not listed in pay guides or award databases.