Glenn Maxwell signed a new two-year contract with Melbourne Stars on Tuesday, just hours before the Big Bash League contracting embargo started. The 37-year-old all-rounder will stay with the franchise through BBL seasons 16 and 17, taking him past age 39 in the competition.
Maxwell announced the deal himself on SEN Radio’s Whateley show before the official confirmation came from Melbourne Stars. The signing keeps him at the club where he has played 123 matches since BBL season 2. He rejected a bigger offer from Sydney Thunder that would have made him one of the highest-paid players in BBL history.
The contract got completed before the 5pm AEDT deadline on Tuesday. After that time, clubs cannot re-sign their current players until February 5, when the player movement window closes. Stars moved quickly to lock in their biggest name despite his struggles this season.
Maxwell Turned Down Higher Thunder Offer
Sydney Thunder made a strong push to sign Maxwell with what News Corp described as a very big contract offer. The Thunder wanted to pair him with David Warner, who recently re-signed at age 40. Thunder also tried to bring in other big names during the signing period.
Australian all-rounder chose to stay with the Stars instead of taking more money elsewhere. He has spent 14 seasons with the Melbourne franchise after playing one year with the Melbourne Renegades in BBL season 1. His loyalty comes even though the Stars remain the only BBL club that has never won a title in 14 years of competition.
Former Australian captain Aaron Finch had publicly suggested Maxwell might need a change of scenery. The comments came after the Stars crashed out of the finals at the Knockout stage this season. Maxwell ignored that advice and committed for two more years instead.
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Poor Season Did Not Change His Mind
The veteran performer managed only 76 runs across eight innings this season with two wickets. The numbers marked one of his worst BBL campaigns statistically. Stars started the season with four straight wins, but then won just two of their final seven matches before the finals elimination.
The team fell at the Knockout stage after looking like title contenders early on. Perth Scorchers went on to win their sixth BBL title while Stars continued their search for a first championship. Maxwell stayed committed despite the disappointing end to the season.
He remains the third-highest run scorer in BBL history with 3,193 runs for Melbourne Stars alone. His best BBL innings of 154 not out against Hobart Hurricanes still stands as one of the competition records. Those numbers show why the Stars wanted to keep him even after a down year.
Building Youth Around Experienced Core
Melbourne Stars also extended Campbell Kellaway’s contract by two years on the same day. The 23-year-old left-handed batsman scored 172 runs at an average of 21.50 this season. Fast bowler Austin Anlezark, who is 20 years old, got a one-year extension as well.
The moves show the Stars are mixing young talent with experienced players like Maxwell. Peter Siddle re-signed at age 42, along with Hilton Cartwright and Sam Harper. High-performance manager Clint McKay said signing Kellaway was just as important as keeping Maxwell for building the squad properly.
Maxwell talked about wanting Stars to become like Perth Scorchers, who have built a dynasty through homegrown players, and Mitchell Owen replacing Maxwell in IPL 2025 shows how franchise cricket keeps evolving. The Scorchers model focuses on developing players internally rather than buying big names every season. Maxwell wants to help set up the next group of Stars players during his final years.
Contract Window Opens After Embargo
The BBL contracting embargo runs until February 5, creating an eight-day player movement window starting January 28. During the embargo, clubs cannot re-sign their existing players but can still sign free agents or make trades. Teams are allowed to sign up to 10 players during this period.
Sydney Thunder will keep looking for other targets after missing out on Maxwell. Reports say they are chasing fast bowler Michael Neser from other clubs. The Thunder captain, David Warner, already secured his spot for next season, giving them at least one big name locked in.
Matthew Gilkes re-signed with Sydney Thunder for two years earlier this week. The moves across different clubs will reshape team rosters before next season starts. Stars got their main business done early by securing Maxwell before the deadline hit.
What This Means for Maxwell
Maxwell will join Australia’s T20 World Cup squad next month for the tournament in India and Sri Lanka. He returns to BBL action for season 16 later in 2026 after the World Cup finishes. The contract gives him security for two full seasons of domestic T20 cricket.
Playing beyond age 39 in the T20 format is rare, but Maxwell believes he can maintain performance levels. Warner doing it at 40 provides a local example of older players succeeding in the BBL.Glenn Maxwell’s career and earnings off the field continue to grow even as he focuses on helping the Stars finally win their first title.
Melbourne Stars get two more years to build around their most experienced player. Maxwell stays at the club where he has made his biggest mark in domestic cricket. The partnership continues despite no championship success yet, with both sides betting that the next two seasons will be different.
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