Buddy Franklin lands new role with AFL in first big move since Sydney Swans retirement
Buddy called time on a glittering playing career in 2023.
Retired AFL legend Lance 'Buddy' Franklin is set to return to the sport in an ambassadorial role after calling time on his glittering playing career in 2023. Buddy booted an astonishing 1066 goals across an extraordinary 19-year playing career for Hawthorn and Sydney, that included two AFL premierships and eight All-Australian honours, before hanging up the boots at the end of last season.
The 37-year-old moved to the Gold Coast with his wife Jesinta and their two kids and reportedly turned down the chance to join the Suns in an off-field role. But Buddy is set to return to the sport for the first time since his retirement after taking up a role as the official ambassador for Superkick on the Gold Coast, where he will work in the AFL's program aimed at growing the game and helping some 10,000 kids find their love of the sport.
The future AFL Hall of Famer will visit schools and do community work in his local area as part of the role, with the Superkick program aimed at kids aged between eight and 12. Superkick involves smaller team sizes, shorter seasons and is free of tackling, making it a perfect introductory level for young players or an option for kids to continue playing after the end of their local footy seasons.
Franklin says he's excited by the opportunity to share his love of the game with the next generation of potential AFL superstars and more importantly "seeing the smile on the kids’ faces". The 37-year-old also explained the importance of programs such as Superkick in encouraging kids to be active, fostering new friendships and aiding the growth in their social skills by playing in team sports.
“When I retired, I obviously wanted to take a big deep breath. I’ve obviously had that year off now, and probably the last couple of months I’ve been looking at getting back involved in football in some aspect,” Buddy said about taking up the Superkick role. “When this opportunity had come up, I jumped at it and thought, ‘You know what? This will work really well for me’.
“I really want to help young kids out and see the game grow as much as possible throughout Australia, and to be here today at this school and have a kick with the kids is incredible. I’m looking forward to the next couple of months.
"I think the most important thing is seeing the smile on the kids’ faces ... then also getting out there and building new friendships. I think that’s the most important thing ... being active, getting outside and building new friendships is really important in this program.”
Buddy Franklin and wife Jesinta selling Gold Coast home
Buddy's new role comes after he and wife Jesinta put their multi-million dollar 'dream home' on the Gold Coast up for sale in June this year, just 18 months after purchasing it. The couple have been struggling to sell the seven bedroom home known as 'Villa Casa' in the Gold Coast suburb of Reedy Creek that they forked out a cool $8.75 million for in 2022.
The AFL legend says he's been loving life on the Gold Coast since moving with the family there and wife Jesinta said earlier this year that her and the kids love having him around more often. “We’re getting so much quality time together and we always make sure that we watch the Swannies and the Hawks games,” Jesinta said. “There’s those two games we carve out the time out for and watch them. So we still feel like we’re a little bit a part of it but it’s nice not to be stressed out by it or have the pressure of winning or losing.”
The couple even spoke about potentially moving out of the city and buying a farm to live on, with Jesinta revealing on TV earlier this year that it's a possibility the family was exploring. "We’re actually thinking of selling up and buying a farm now," Jesinta said. "So yeah, we’ll see how we go... We just love the idea of being on land, growing our own food, having horses, a couple of Highland cows, we’d love that. It could be something interesting.”
Buddy finished his career in 2023 as as the fourth-greatest goalkicker (1066 goals) in VFL/AFL history after joining Tony Lockett, Gordon Coventry and Jason Dunstall as the only players to break the magical 1000 barrier. He was also a two-time premiership player, eight-time All-Australian and four-time Coleman medallist and is regarded as one of the sport's all-time greats.
