They may have made their names as the wives of footy players but Rebecca Judd and Nadia Bartel have gone on to eclipse the earnings of the men that helped make them famous.
And the jaw-dropping amount of money they are earning from their thriving businesses being fashion influencers has been exposed by another former footy legend, Wayne Carey.
In his The Truth Hurts podcast on Wednesday, Carey praised the women for building their businesses while juggling children and their high-profile relationships — Rebecca with former Eagle and Carlton legend Chris Judd, and Nadia with Geelong star Jimmy Bartel, although they have since split.
“The amount of money that they’re making. You’re talking about $150,000 from Nike,” Carey said.
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READ NOW“These girls are making that for a post ... 100 per cent they’re outstripping their partners.”
Carey explained their achievements were admirable given that AFL is a selfish sport. “Everything is about you. So what they go through as a partner of an AFL footballer is quite a bit.”
But Carey’s sky-high estimates of the Melbourne pair’s earnings might not be as accurate as his kick on goal.
According to Influencer Marketing Hub — which calculates influencer earnings based on engagements and the number of followers — Judd rakes in about $5500 per Instagram post while Nadia earns $3830.
It’s not the first time Carey has gone public with his admiration for Bartel.
In April, he said high-profile footy wives such as Bartel were “quite remarkable” for their strength under fire.
“(WAGs) get knocked by a lot of people . . . how about giving this woman (Nadia) the credit that she deserves to forge a career,” the 51-year-old former Kangaroos caption said.
“Obviously split up with Jimmy, was with him through the tough times as an AFL footballer. I know Nadia has made some mistakes — but who hasn’t made some mistakes? But the way she bounces back from those mistakes.”
As well as having her own activewear label, Perth-born Judd is kept busy on Instagram promoting everything from fashion to make-up and skincare to events.
Bartel has also dipped her toe into fashion design with the label Henne and is seriously busy on the socials having bounced back from her embarrassing “white powder” snorting scandal in 2021.
She separated from Jimmy Bartel in 2019 after five years of marriage. They have two sons.