Who the AFL’s top six earners should be in 2025 according to Adam Cooney

If every AFL player was starting from scratch in 2025 without contracts for the upcoming season, who would be paid the most for the next campaign alone?

Without taking into account potential, Brownlow Medallist Adam Cooney named the six players that he believes should be earning the most out of the entire competition for what he expects them to produce in 2025.

Cooney’s six names included four midfielders, one key forward and one key defender.

“I'm going to have Marcus Bontempelli in there. He's got to be in the top five,” Cooney said on SEN Mornings. 

“Lachie Neale I've got in there next year. I just think that the way that he plays with his cleanliness and ability around stoppages is really important.

“He’s probably undervalued a little bit for a guy who's had some reasonable success both individually and team.

“Patrick Cripps I have in there, I think he’s still got a couple of monster years left in him with that huge frame around the ball. He’s a terrific leader. 

“I've got ‘Jezza' Jeremy Cameron in there as well and I have to put in a key defender so it’s probably Sam Taylor.

“The oversight is the little wizard from Collingwood, Nick Daicos he’s a pretty good player.

“So that’s my top six in no particular order.”

As things stand, Bontempelli and Cameron come out of contract at the end of the 2025 season, Neale comes out of contract in 2026, Cripps’ deal ends in 2027, while Daicos (2029) and Taylor (2032) both recently inked long-term big money contracts to remain at their clubs.

Cooney’s top six hypothetical earners in 2025
Marcus Bontempelli (Western Bulldogs)  
Lachie Neale (Brisbane)  
Patrick Cripps (Carlton)  
Jeremy Cameron (Geelong)  
Sam Taylor (GWS)  
Nick Daicos (Collingwood)