This month, we take a look at the numbers that make up AFL Players Care, the official charity initiative of all AFL players.
AFL Players Care is the players’ official charity initiative and was established in 2014 when the playing group voted to increase their match fee charity contributions from $25 to $50 per player, per game.
While $25 per game per player is still donated to the AFL Players’ official charity partner, Ladder, to help tackle youth homelessness, an additional $25 per game per player is now contributed to the AFL Players Care fund.
AFL Players contribute $217,800 annually to Ladder.
In 2017, the inaugural AFLW playing group elected to become a part of the AFL Players Care program, donating $50 of their football salaries to the cause. Amounting to a total of $6,050, this donation is then given to a national charity the players choose as a collective.
To date, over $3 million has been donated through the AFL Players Care program. In recent years, these funds have been donated to organisations such as FightMND, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Rural Aid Australia, and Red Dust. Donations have also been made to help charities support communities through natural disasters such as floods and bushfires.