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The amount Kobe McDonald is set to earn with his move to Aussie Rules

Published 10:03 29 Jul 2026 BST

Updated 10:04 29 Jul 2026 BST

Colman Stanley
The amount Kobe McDonald is set to earn with his move to Aussie Rules

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He's on his way to the big bucks!

In the end, no wealthy Mayo businessman stepped in to offer Kobe McDonald life-changing amounts of cash to keep the young star from going through with his move to the AFL.

The Crossmolina man is heading Down Under with his family next month, to start his career with Melbourne side St Kilda.

And, as Mayo manager Andy Moran explained, it is not just about the money, but being in a professional sporting environment.

In the long run it may even benefit Mayo, if McDonald was to return to GAA at some point in the future.

But how much is he actually set to earn in his new profession?

He will be on a Category B rookie deal, which is a base payment of roughly AUS$58,000 (€35,337).

Players also receive around AUS$4,000 (€2,437) per senior appearance, while they can also earn up to AUS$12,000 in bonuses.

After a player's third year at a club, they guarantee a salary of at least AUS$155,000 (€94,435).

The highest paid player in the league is Richmond’s Tom Lynch, who received around AUS$1.5m (€913890).

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