The Australian Football League has launched its 2026 First Nations Impact Fund with an annual commitment of approximately $300,000, to be invested in partnership with clubs as part of the league’s wider First Nations Strategy.
The same league pays its highest-earning players annual salaries in excess of $1.4 million.
The Fund will be partially financed through the reinvestment of royalties from Sir Doug Nicholls Round merchandise, including the Marngrook-branded Sherrin range and the 18 club-designed Indigenous guernseys worn across rounds 10 and 11.
A senior departmental spokesperson for the league said the Fund represented a “significant commitment” to growing First Nations participation. “We have set a goal of 111 First Nations players by 2030. This Fund ensures we are backing that ambition with sustained investment and collaboration with clubs.”
The collaboration would not at this stage involve revisiting the financial settlement of the Marngrook game, widely regarded as a precursor to Australian Rules football and from which the league derives its core product.
The number of First Nations players on AFL lists in 2026 is 62, a drop from a peak of 87 in 2020. The marketing budget for Sir Doug Nicholls Round merchandise was not disclosed.
A spokesperson for the AFL Players’ Association did not respond to questions about whether First Nations players were active participants in the Sir Doug Nicholls Round commercial strategy or beneficiaries of the Impact Fund.
The Fund will be distributed across 18 clubs.
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