The players on the minimum wage are the big winners in a revamped pay deal for the new AFL women’s league.

The minimum wage for participants covering a 22-week period – including seven rounds of home and away games and the grand final – has been lifted from $5000 to $8500 in 2017.

Priority signings and top draft picks have had their pay packets upped from $10,000 to $12,000, while the 16 marquee players also get a $2000 increase to $27,000.

The improved deal – nutted out between the AFL and the players association – also covers football boots and runners, an interstate travel allowance, income protection insurance, childcare and out-of-pocket medical expenses.

AFLPA CEO Paul Marsh was particularly pleased that a level of parity had been established with the minimum wage set at a pro-rata amount of the male rookie salary.

“The AFLPA and players’ guiding principle throughout the negotiations with the AFL was achieving an outcome of equality between our female and male players,” he said.

“The players overwhelmingly voted in favour of accepting these payment terms and look forward to working in partnership with the AFL and clubs to make the AFL Women’s Competition the success we all know it will be.”

AFL general manager of game and market development Simon Lethlean said the league had responded to feedback from the AFLPA and the players.

“The AFL wants the NAB AFL Women’s Competition to succeed, and to be sustainable into the future,” Lethlean said in a statement.

“The league will be a semi-professional competition initially with players employed on a part-time basis, but we are keen for it to evolve into being fully professional as soon as possible.”