Swans and Hawks legend Buddy Franklin opens up on footy in surprise new venture with Shane Crawford
AFL great Buddy Franklin says he never considered a traditional media role after his footy career so when his former teammate, Shane Crawford, came up with a different idea, he was “pretty much all in” right away.
Fiona Byrne
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Footy superstar Buddy Franklin is opening up about the game.
The AFL great who let his work on the field for the Swans and Hawthorn do the talking during his celebrated playing career, has joined forces with Shane Crawford to co-host a footy-focused new podcast.
The Buddy and Shane Show, a weekly podcast, will see the former Hawthorn teammates combine humour, hard-hitting commentary and their deep experience as elite footballers to deliver unique insights into the 2025 AFL season.
Franklin said teaming up with Crawford provided the “comfortable” and “trusting” environment he was seeking.
“I never considered a traditional media role in life post footy, but I knew I wanted to remain involved in some capacity,” Franklin said.
“When Crawf approached me with the concept I didn’t need much convincing. I was pretty much all in from the word go.”
In addition to match reviews and covering issues of the moment, the pair will also have current players and coaches as guests of the show.
“The AFL media landscape has turned into a 24/7 juggernaut and so often, players and coaches are trained on what to say, and how to say it down to a tee,” Crawford said.
“Our show aims to provide a lighthearted, fun and comfortable outlet for the game’s best minds to speak their truth and talk to two people, in Bud and I, who can relate to their
on and off-field experiences.
“We are doing this because we can do it how we want and we can talk about football how we want to do it. Also, we love footy.
“We are very fortunate to have AIA Vitality and The Kia Tasman supporting the podcast and they are powering the vodcast.”
The Buddy and Shane Show will be recorded weekly on the Gold Coast.
The first episode will be released on Tuesday (April 22, 2025) with following episodes to be released each Monday on all podcast platforms including Spotify and Apple and to view on YouTube.
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