AFL portrait art: Melbourne artist Mitchell Toy’s stunning footballer heroes of yesteryear series

THESE are some of our AFL footballers — Joe Daniher, Dustin Martin, Lance ‘Buddy’ Franklin and Steele Sidebottom — as you’ve never seen them before thanks to a poignant “centuries past” makeover by a Melbourne artist.

Richmond star Dustin Martin gets an aristocratic makeover, with Collingwood star Steele Sidebottom as an armoured knight of the Middle Ages and Lance Franklin as a stoic British red coat. Picture: Mitchell Toy

THESE are some of our favourite AFL footballers as you’ve never seen them before.

Melbourne artist Mitchell Toy, 30, has painted a striking series which gives our modern sporting heroes — including Joe Daniher, Dustin Martin, Lance ‘Buddy’ Franklin and Steele Sidebottom — a classical “centuries past” makeover.

“The way people of status are portrayed in art has changed over time, but much remains the same,” Mr Toy said.

“Heroes have always been put on a pedestal in art and their feats glorified in folklore.”

The series depicts the players in different poses, Daniher as a WWI pilot, Martin as an aristocrat, Franklin as a stoic British red coat, and Sidebottom as a knight in shining armour.

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Mosquito Joe: Essendon star Joe Daniher as a WWII pilot, complete with his 'Bomber' jacket, era-perfect moustache and bomber plane branded with ‘Mosquito’, a nod to the 1920's mosquito fleet of short players. Picture: Mitchell Toy

Prince of Punt Rd: Richmond star and Brownlow medallist Dustin Martin gets an aristocratic makeover, with his tiger skin sash, Brownlow medal and collar embroidery reminiscent of his neck tattoos. Picture: Mitchell Toy

Lance Corporal: Sydney Swans star Lance 'Buddy' Franklin as a stoic British red coat, complete with a white swan in the background. Picture: Mitchell Toy

Sir Steele: Collingwood star Steele Sidebottom as an armoured knight of the Middle Ages flagged by magpies. Picture: Mitchell Toy

Interested in how sporting champions have these days taken the place of military men and playwrights as glorified figures, Mr Toy used acrylic paint on canvas to show the footballers in a poignant new light.

“In modern day Melbourne those hero portraits are carried through in things like footy cards and team photos,” he said.

“These paintings are a quirky reminder of how AFL players might have been rendered for the public eye in centuries past.”

Each painting took Mr Toy between 15 and 20 hours to complete, and he hopes his subjects “take them in good fun”.

“I hope the footballers realise they are the modern warriors looked to with admiration by the public, especially young people,” he said.

www.mitchelltoy.com