Cricket Australia risks losing further ground in the battle for hearts and minds of young sportsmen around the country as its protracted pay saga drags on.
Will Sutherland, the son of CA chief executive James, is the latest in a long line of talented teens weighing up a career in cricket or AFL.
Sutherland, after captaining Australia's under-19 cricket team earlier this year, has been touted a potential first-round AFL draft pick. Football recruiters will watch him closely on Saturday when he represents Vic Metro for the first time.
Sutherland, much like his old man, has a big decision to make soon.
Most youngsters facing similar conundrums in recent years have opted for AFL. Allrounder Mitch Marsh, a talented junior footballer, is one of few to have gone against the grain.
Carlton captain Marc Murphy, West Coast skipper Shannon Hurn and Greater Western Sydney's Stephen Coniglio and Brett Deledio are among current AFL players to have represented their state in cricket at underage level.
The reasons for their decisions are varied but financial security is a big part. The AFL offers higher-paying jobs for juniors and more opportunities; a product of having 18 clubs and a draft system.
Cricket remains a more-rewarding career path than Australian football for most women but the reverse is true for men.
The AFL beefed up its carrot on Tuesday with a major pay deal, raising the base payment for a first-round draft pick to $88,200 this year. The average wage leapt from $309,000 to $371,000.
"The key thing is that, every year, we get roughly 120 opportunities for boys to join a list ... this (new pay deal) is a fantastic additional bonus. The minimum rates for players has increased significantly," AFL national talent manager Kevin Sheehan told AAP.
"The amount they get paid is part of it but it's also what they enjoy, the profile of the sport and what their mates are doing.
"We're in competition around Australia for elite athletes, potential spectacular players.
"This is fantastic news for those kids considering AFL - it's even more attractive than it was before."
The same cannot be said of cricket, a sport clouded in uncertainty as Will Sutherland and others mull over whether to nominate for the draft.
CA is still trying to negotiate a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) but its talks with the Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA) have been fruitless and the June 30 deadline is fast approaching.
James Sutherland remains at loggerheads with players. Vice-captain David Warner has warned the Ashes could be at stake.
Warner earns a higher income than any AFL superstar but most of his colleagues aren't so lucky, especially those grinding away in domestic cricket.
CA hopes the rise of the Big Bash League will help revamp its job market and has reformed its junior pathways in recent years. The governing body remains bitterly divided with the players' union on a range of topics, including how best to grow the game.
CA and the ACA swapped passive-aggressive statements on Wednesday about the AFL's deal, offering significantly different takes.
