A-LEAGUE · DEFENDERS · 2026/27
Highest paid A-League defenders
Jacob Farrell is the best-paid defender in the A-League, on £6,100 a week at Western Sydney Wanderers Football Club, or £317,200 a year. Hiroki Sakai is next on £4,200 at Auckland Football Club. We hold wages for 101 A-League defenders in 2026/27.
BEST PAID £6k
AVERAGE WAGE £1,262
SHARE OF WAGE BILL28%
TOP 10 A WEEK £32k
WAGES HELD101
The 50 best-paid A-League defenders
Weekly wage, 2026/27. A player who plays in two areas of the pitch is on both lists, at the full wage.
| # | PLAYER | WEEKLY | YEARLY | CLUB | AGE | POSITION | NATION |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jacob Farrell | £6,100£6k | £317,200£317k | Western Sydney Wanderers Football Club | 22 | Left-back | Australia |
| 2 | Hiroki Sakai | £4,200£4k | £218,400£218k | Auckland Football Club | 35 | Centre-back | Japan |
| 3 | Jake Girdwood-Reich | £4,100£4k | £213,200£213k | Auckland Football Club | 21 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Australia |
| 4 | Lachlan Jackson | £3,000£3k | £156,000£156k | Melbourne Victory Football Club | 30 | Centre-back | Australia |
| 5 | Marius Lode | £2,900£3k | £150,800£151k | Brisbane Roar Football Club | 32 | Centre-back | Norway |
| 6 | Roderick Miranda | £2,700£3k | £140,400£140k | Melbourne Victory Football Club | 34 | Centre-back | Portugal |
| 7 | Adama Traoré | £2,500£3k | £130,000£130k | Melbourne Victory Football Club | 35 | Left-back | Côte d’Ivoire |
| 8 | Craig Goodwin | £2,400£2k | £124,800£125k | Adelaide United | 33 | Left wing-back, winger | Australia |
| 9 | Daniel Wilmering | £2,400£2k | £124,800£125k | Newcastle Jets FC | 24 | Left-back | Australia |
| 10 | James McGarry | £2,100£2k | £109,200£109k | Brisbane Roar Football Club | 27 | Left-back, left midfielder | New Zealand |
| 11 | Joshua Risdon | £2,100£2k | £109,200£109k | Perth Glory Football Club | 32 | Right-back | Australia |
| 12 | Joel King | £2,100£2k | £109,200£109k | Sydney Football Club | 24 | Left-back | Australia |
| 13 | Marcel Tisserand | £1,900£2k | £98,800£99k | Sydney Football Club | 32 | Centre-back | Congo - Kinshasa |
| 14 | Ryan Kitto | £1,700£2k | £88,400£88k | Adelaide United | 30 | Left-back, left midfielder | Australia |
| 15 | Rhyan Grant | £1,700£2k | £88,400£88k | Sydney Football Club | 34 | Right-back, central midfielder | Australia |
| 16 | Ruon Tongyik | £1,700£2k | £88,400£88k | Western Sydney Wanderers Football Club | 28 | Centre-back | Australia |
| 17 | Samuel Souprayen | £1,600£2k | £83,200£83k | Melbourne City FC | 36 | Centre-back | France |
| 18 | Sander Kartum | £1,600£2k | £83,200£83k | Wellington Phoenix Football Club | 29 | Left wing-back, attacking midfielder | Norway |
| 19 | Bart Vriends | £1,500£2k | £78,000£78k | Adelaide United | 34 | Centre-back | Netherlands |
| 20 | Aziz Behich | £1,500£2k | £78,000£78k | Melbourne City FC | 34 | Left-back, left midfielder | Australia |
| 21 | Bill Tuiloma | £1,500£2k | £78,000£78k | Wellington Phoenix Football Club | 30 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | New Zealand |
| 22 | Alex Gersbach | £1,500£2k | £78,000£78k | Western Sydney Wanderers Football Club | 28 | Left-back | Australia |
| 23 | Aidan Simmons | £1,500£2k | £78,000£78k | Western Sydney Wanderers Football Club | 22 | Right-back, winger | Australia |
| 24 | Damien Da Silva | £1,400£1k | £72,800£73k | Macarthur Football Club | 37 | Centre-back | France |
| 25 | Germán Ferreyra | £1,200£1k | £62,400£62k | Melbourne City FC | 29 | Centre-back | Argentina |
| 26 | Harrison Delbridge | £1,200£1k | £62,400£62k | Melbourne City FC | 33 | Centre-back | Australia |
| 27 | Jason Davidson | £1,100£1k | £57,200£57k | Melbourne Victory Football Club | 34 | Centre-back | Australia |
| 28 | Zach Lisolajski | £1,000£1k | £52,000£52k | Perth Glory Football Club | 19 | Centre-back | Australia |
| 29 | Brian Kaltak | £991£991 | £51,532£52k | Perth Glory Football Club | 31 | Centre-back | Vanuatu |
| 30 | Šime Gržan | £974£974 | £50,648£51k | Macarthur Football Club | 31 | Right-back, right winger | Croatia |
| 31 | Nathaniel Atkinson | £900£900 | £46,800£47k | Melbourne City FC | 26 | Right-back | Australia |
| 32 | Tomislav Uskok | £870£870 | £45,240£45k | Macarthur Football Club | 34 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Australia |
| 33 | Dylan Pierias | £842£842 | £43,784£44k | Adelaide United | 25 | Right-back, right winger | Australia |
| 34 | Joe Shaughnessy | £820£820 | £42,640£43k | Newcastle Jets FC | 33 | Centre-back | Ireland |
| 35 | Thomas Aquilina | £793£793 | £41,236£41k | Newcastle Jets FC | 24 | Full-back | Australia |
| 36 | Anthony Pantazopoulos | £792£792 | £41,184£41k | Western Sydney Wanderers Football Club | 22 | Centre-back | Australia |
| 37 | Nando Pijnaker | £762£762 | £39,624£40k | Auckland Football Club | 26 | Centre-back | New Zealand |
| 38 | Antonee Burke-Gilroy | £718£718 | £37,336£37k | Brisbane Roar Football Club | 27 | Right-back, defensive midfielder | Australia |
| 39 | Manjrekar James | £715£715 | £37,180£37k | Wellington Phoenix Football Club | 31 | Centre-back | Canada |
| 40 | Austin Ludwik | £714£714 | £37,128£37k | Brisbane Roar Football Club | 28 | Centre-back | Australia |
| 41 | Alex Grant | £714£714 | £37,128£37k | Sydney Football Club | 31 | Centre-back | Australia |
| 42 | Alexandar Popovic | £714£714 | £37,128£37k | Sydney Football Club | 22 | Centre-back | Australia |
| 43 | Sam Sutton | £709£709 | £36,868£37k | Perth Glory Football Club | 23 | Left-back | New Zealand |
| 44 | Ben Warland | £704£704 | £36,608£37k | Brisbane Roar Football Club | 28 | Centre-back | Australia |
| 45 | Brendan Hamill | £704£704 | £36,608£37k | Melbourne Victory Football Club | 32 | Centre-back | Australia |
| 46 | Ben Garuccio | £704£704 | £36,608£37k | Sydney Football Club | 30 | Left-back, left midfielder | Australia |
| 47 | Chris Donnell | £694£694 | £36,088£36k | Central Coast Mariners | 21 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder, attacking midfielder | Australia |
| 48 | Callum Talbot | £694£694 | £36,088£36k | Macarthur Football Club | 24 | Full-back | Australia |
| 49 | Charbel Shamoon | £694£694 | £36,088£36k | Perth Glory Football Club | 21 | Right-back, wide midfielder | Iraq |
| 50 | Diesel Herrington | £684£684 | £35,568£36k | Central Coast Mariners | 21 | Centre-back | Australia |
What each position earns in the A-League
Average weekly wage of the players aged 22 or over we hold a wage for
Defenders take 28% of what the A-League pays its players of that age. The four shares add up to the whole bill, because a player who plays in two areas gives half the wage to each.
The clubs that pay their defenders the most
Every defender wage we hold at each A-League club, added together, a week
Western Sydney Wanderers Football Club pay 8 defenders £13,192 a week between them, and Jacob Farrell takes 46% of it.
The best-paid defender at every A-League club
12 clubs, 2026/27, with where each ranks among the league's defenders
| CLUB | PLAYER | WEEKLY | RANK |
|---|---|---|---|
| Western Sydney Wanderers Football Club | Jacob Farrell | £6,100£6k | 1 |
| Auckland Football Club | Hiroki Sakai | £4,200£4k | 2 |
| Melbourne Victory Football Club | Lachlan Jackson | £3,000£3k | 4 |
| Brisbane Roar Football Club | Marius Lode | £2,900£3k | 5 |
| Adelaide United | Craig Goodwin | £2,400£2k | 8 |
| Newcastle Jets FC | Daniel Wilmering | £2,400£2k | 9 |
| Sydney Football Club | Joel King | £2,100£2k | 12 |
| Perth Glory Football Club | Joshua Risdon | £2,100£2k | 11 |
| Melbourne City FC | Samuel Souprayen | £1,600£2k | 17 |
| Wellington Phoenix Football Club | Sander Kartum | £1,600£2k | 18 |
| Macarthur Football Club | Damien Da Silva | £1,400£1k | 24 |
| Central Coast Mariners | Chris Donnell | £694£694 | 47 |
The best-paid defender in every men's league
43 leagues, ordered by their best-paid defender. The A-League ranks 37th.
| LEAGUE | BEST PAID | WEEKLY | AVERAGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Pro League | Kalidou Koulibaly | £497,000£497k | £40,351£40k |
| Premier League | Virgil van Dijk | £350,000£350k | £69,840£70k |
| Bundesliga | Dayot Upamecano | £331,000£331k | £42,331£42k |
| Ligue 1 | Lucas Hernández | £316,000£316k | £27,702£28k |
| La Liga | João Cancelo | £249,000£249k | £37,418£37k |
| Serie A | John Stones | £200,000£200k | £36,415£36k |
| Süper Lig | Milan Škriniar | £166,000£166k | £15,078£15k |
| Superleague Greece | Stefan de Vrij | £117,000£117k | £10,420£10k |
| Championship | Kieran Trippier | £115,000£115k | £18,082£18k |
| Eredivisie | Lutsharel Geertruida | £99,000£99k | £8,088£8k |
| Major League Soccer | Jordi Alba | £85,000£85k | £7,805£8k |
| Scottish Premiership | Ben Godfrey | £80,000£80k | £5,860£6k |
| Primeira Liga | Jakub Kiwior | £58,000£58k | £5,910£6k |
| La Liga 2 | David López | £58,000£58k | £4,473£4k |
| Russian Premier League | Matheus Reis | £57,000£57k | £12,772£13k |
| Brasileirão Série A | Guillermo Maripán | £53,000£53k | £8,284£8k |
| Belgian Pro League | Matteo Dams | £49,000£49k | £5,133£5k |
| League One | Wes Morgan | £46,000£46k | £5,700£6k |
| 2. Bundesliga | Yannick Gerhardt | £42,000£42k | £8,296£8k |
| Super Liga | Nicolás Otamendi | £41,000£41k | £3,253£3k |
| Danish Superliga | Rasmus Kristensen | £39,000£39k | £5,418£5k |
| Ekstraklasa | Attila Szalai | £36,000£36k | £2,883£3k |
| Serie B | Federico Baschirotto | £33,000£33k | £6,876£7k |
| Czech First League | David Jurásek | £29,000£29k | £1,857£2k |
| Chinese Super League | Matheus Jussa (Matheus Isaias dos Santos) | £27,000£27k | £4,788£5k |
| Liga MX | Kenedy | £25,000£25k | £6,926£7k |
| Austrian Bundesliga | Stefan Lainer | £21,000£21k | £4,095£4k |
| Ligue 2 | Frédéric Guilbert | £18,000£18k | £4,556£5k |
| J1 League | Gotoku Sakai | £15,000£15k | £3,457£3k |
| Croatian First League | Ronaël Pierre-Gabriel | £15,000£15k | £2,078£2k |
| Thai League | Erik Sviatchenko | £14,000£14k | £2,172£2k |
| Eliteserien | Hrannar Snær Magnússon | £13,000£13k | £1,630£2k |
| Belgian Challenger Pro League | Thomas Foket | £8,600£9k | £1,529£2k |
| League Two | Alfie Dorrington | £8,500£9k | £2,352£2k |
| Categoría Primera A | Frank Fabra | £8,300£8k | £3,994£4k |
| Scottish Championship | Leon King | £8,000£8k | £952£952 |
| A-League | Jacob Farrell | £6,100£6k | £1,262£1k |
| Indian Super League | Anwar Ali | £4,500£5k | £595£595 |
| National League | Jake Rooney | £4,100£4k | £1,165£1k |
| I-League | Jamie McCart | £4,100£4k | £547£547 |
| Veikkausliiga | Alfie Cicale | £2,500£3k | £646£646 |
| Canadian Premier League | Curtis Ofori | £1,400£1k | £443£443 |
| Meistriliiga | Modou Tambedou | £484£484 | £152£152 |
Frequently asked questions
Who is the highest paid defender in the A-League?
Jacob Farrell of Western Sydney Wanderers Football Club, on £6,100 a week in 2026/27, or £317,200 a year. Hiroki Sakai of Auckland Football Club is second on £4,200 a week.
How much do A-League defenders earn?
The average A-League defender aged 22 or over earns £1,262 a week, and the median one £807. Defenders take 28% of what the A-League pays its players of that age.
Which A-League club pays its defenders the most?
Western Sydney Wanderers Football Club, £13,192 a week across the 8 defenders we hold a wage for, led by Jacob Farrell on £6,100.
Who is the highest paid defender in football?
Of the 43 men's leagues we rank defenders in, the best-paid is Kalidou Koulibaly of Al-Hilal Saudi Football Club in the Saudi Pro League, on £497,000 a week. The best-paid in the A-League ranks 37th of the 43 leagues on that measure.
Where to next
The same A-League squads, cut a different way
See the highest paid A-League players in every position, the best-paid player at every club, what A-League players are paid at every age, or the A-League wage bill, club by club.