Oscar Piastri Crowned Australia's Top-Earning Athlete with $57 Million Haul
In a stunning revelation, Formula 1 driver Oscar Piastri has emerged as Australia's highest-paid sports star, amassing a staggering $57 million in earnings last year. The comprehensive list of the nation's best-compensated athletes, compiled by Nine Newspapers, delivers several surprises, most notably the absence of any AFL or NRL stars within the top 50 rankings.
Surprising Names Outshine Football Superstars
The rankings showcase a diverse array of athletes, with relatively lesser-known figures from golf and basketball surpassing high-profile footballers like Nick Daicos and Nathan Cleary. Piastri, who narrowly missed securing the F1 drivers' championship last season, leads the pack. He is joined in the elite top ten by tennis sensation Alex de Minaur, who earned $13 million, NFL Super Bowl champion Jordan Mailata with $23 million, and golfing star Cameron Smith, who secured $44 million largely through his lucrative deal with the breakaway LIV tour.
The list reveals that basketball player Taran Armstrong occupies the 50th position, earning at least $2 million primarily from his contract with a Dubai team in the EuroLeague. Golfer Karl Vilips also features, alongside fellow golfers Stephanie Kyriacou ($2.5 million) and Grace Kim ($3 million), despite not being household names in Australia.
Under-the-Radar Athletes Raking in Millions
Other athletes flying under the public radar include basketballers Alex Condon and Johnny Furphy, each earning $3 million, and jockey Zac Purton with the same figure. In women's football, Matildas star Sam Kerr ranked 37th with maximum earnings of $3.5 million, slightly behind teammate Mary Fowler, who placed 36th.
Cricket stars are well-represented in the top 25, with Josh Hazlewood ($5 million), Mitchell Starc, and Travis Head ($5.5 million) trailing Test captain Pat Cummins, who sits 15th with $9 million. Motocross champion Jett Lawrence, largely unknown outside enthusiast circles, secured ninth place with at least $12 million after winning his third consecutive SuperMotocross World Championship, earning comparisons to Max Verstappen in dirt biking.
NBA and MLB Stars Make Strong Showings
NBA players feature prominently, with Josh Giddey of the Chicago Bulls in third place earning $38 million and Dyson Daniels of the Atlanta Hawks fourth with $37 million. The presence of Major League Baseball stars like Liam Hendriks ($10.5 million) and Travis Bazzana ($6.5 million) will also astonish many Australian sports fans.
Why AFL and NRL Stars Missed the Cut
While football icons like Daicos and Cleary enjoy far greater exposure than most on the list, their exclusion becomes understandable upon examining the financial structures of the AFL and NRL. This season, the AFL's salary cap per team is $18.3 million, while NRL teams can spend a maximum of $11.55 million. Distributed across large squads, these caps limit even top players' base salaries.
For instance, St Kilda's Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera is among the AFL's highest earners on a deal rumoured near $2 million annually, while Christian Petracca earns an estimated $1.4 million. In the NRL, players like Dylan Brown, Tom Trbojevic, and Nathan Cleary command around $1.3 million. Although endorsement deals can supplement incomes—such as Cleary's contract with Adidas—the relatively smaller Australian market compared to Europe or the USA restricts earning potential. This is highlighted by Mary Fowler's rumoured $10 million Adidas deal, which dwarfs her boyfriend Cleary's earnings.
Piastri's substantial salary from McLaren is further boosted by endorsement agreements with Google, Monster Energy, and the Grill'd fast-food chain, cementing his position at the pinnacle of Australian sports earnings.
