Buddy Franklin’s hilarious AFL paycheck confession
The ex-AFL star has revealed what he splashed out on when he received his first big footy paycheque in the mid-2000s.
Buddy Franklin has revealed the two hilarious things he splashed out on when he received his very first AFL paycheque.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest forwards in footy history, the ex Swans and Hawks star also opened up to news.com.au about his favourite goal from his career, the toughest defender he played against, and which teammate left him starstruck.
Now before we get into his answers, we need to mention that we got time with Franklin thanks to eBay Live which has just launched in Australia.
eBay Live is an immersive way to shop where people can tune into live‑streamed events from sellers, see products up close, ask questions in real time, and even bid in live auctions.
Earlier this week, Franklin was a surprise special guest on the platform where he auctioned off AFL cards tied to iconic moments from his career.
Buddy’s first footy paycheque
Franklin was drafted by Hawthorn when he was 17 years old and received his first proper paycheque not long afterwards.
So how did he spend it?
“I think me and Jordan Lewis were drafted together, and the first thing we did when we got our pay check was we went and got a new mobile phone,” Franklin said.
Armed with a flashy new Motorola flip phone, Franklin also spent some of his hard earned money on a makeover.
“I straightened my hair, which is unbelievable!” he said. “It was pretty cool back then.”
Looking back on his purchases, Franklin couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Who would think that’s what you’d do?” he laughed.
The man who left him starstruck
Over the years, thousands of people have been left starstruck after meeting Buddy Franklin. But I was keen to hear who he froze up when meeting.
“Shane Crawford, definitely him,” Franklin said about his former teammate. “Walking into the club at 17 years of age, seeing a Brownlow medallist and champion of the game, I think there was definitely moments where you are starstruck.”
Franklin added it was “incredible” to be around Crawford back then, when he was one of the highest profile players in the league.
“He was the David Beckham of that era, he was huge!” he said.
The two ex-Hawks currently host a podcast together called The Buddy & Shane Show.
Buddy’s toughest opponent
During his 19 seasons of AFL footy, Franklin came up against some truly exceptional defenders, but there was one who he considered tougher than the rest.
“Tom Lonergan had a really good record on me, he beat me a fair few times,” Franklin told news.com.au. “He would definitely be one of the hardest defenders.”
The goal he’ll never forget
In 2022 Franklin became just the sixth AFL player to have kicked 1000 goals, finishing his career in 2023 with 1066.
Over the years fans have debated which goal was Buddy’s best, with many leaning towards his incredible run down the left wing against Essendon in Round 13, 2010.
When asked which goal he considers his favourite, Franklin said, “I think my first ever goal at the MCG as an 18-year-old.”
He continued, “Kicking a goal, running on the left hand side was pretty incredible and something that I’ll cherish forever,” he said about the game against Richmond.
There are plenty more revelations from Buddy Franklin’s interview with news.com.au, which you can watch in the video player at the top of this article.
The 38-year-old speaks about his new life as a beekeeper, his most treasured piece of footy memorabilia and reveals if he thinks the Swans will win the premiership in 2026.
Originally published as Buddy Franklin’s hilarious AFL paycheck confession
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