The AFL’s slickest homes revealed
It’s probably fitting that some of the AFL’s best and biggest figures also own some of the game’s greatest homes. Check them out.
It’s probably fitting that some of the AFL’s best and biggest figures also own some of the game’s greatest homes.
From the top players to the League’s top official, these are the AFL’s slickest homes.
BUDDY AND JESINTA FRANKLIN, GOLD COAST, QLD
As one of the game’s most talked about figures, Buddy Franklin is also the proud owner of the AFL’s most talked about home.
The Sydney forward and his model wife, Jesinta surprised many when they dropped almost $10m on a glamorous Mediterrean mansion on the Gold Coast. – a price still behind talked about on the glamour strip.
The Franklins bought in southeast Queensland prior to selling their $5 million pad in Sydney’s exclusive Eastern Suburbs to former NRL CEO Todd Greenberg.
The Franklins scooped up their new the sprawling luxury property known as Villa Casa after just six days on the market, smashing the previous sales record in the emerging Gold Coast hinterland suburb.
The seven-bedroom, eight-bathroom home on a 4497sq m block with panoramic views is a significant upsize for the couple and their two children, Tullulah and Rocky.
Villa Casa, designed by architect Reece Keil, captured the hearts of property watchers across the nation, taking out top spot as Australia’s most viewed home on www.realestate.com.au last year.
The one-of-a-kind hillside house with 180-degree views of the Gold Coast skyline combines curves and arches crafted from limestone with landscaped greenery.
Outdoor amenities are reminiscent of a resort, with a glamorous terrace running the length of the magnesium pool with swim-up bar, while there’s also a built-in barbecue, games room and living room with panoramic views.
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GILLON MCLACHLAN, PRAHRAN, VIC,
Gillon McLachlan probably went close to setting a new record price for current AFL figures, when he and wife Laura splurged $13.5m on an exclusive home last year in one of Melbourne’s most-wanted suburbs of Prahran.
According to property records, the outgoing AFL boss paid $13.5m for the 1,249 sqm home in one of Prahran’s most sought-after streets on June 25. The sale was settled on November 2 last year.
It was the first time the home had changed hands since December 1986, when it was sold for $700,000.
According to publicly available records, no major upgrades have been made on the character-filled home in the last four decades.
The home was so quietly listed for a hushed sale to a select group of buyers that no inside pictures of the home were available on real estate platforms.
PATRICK DANGERFIELD, GEELONG, VIC
After moving from Adelaide to Geelong, Patrick Dangerfield set his sights on building his luxury dream home with wife Madi on Victoria’s Surf Coast.
Named ‘Danger’s Build’ the Brownlow Medallist chronicled the project on his Instagram account.
The Dangerfields snapped up the Moggs Creek property for about $2m in 2016 and lodged a planning permit application to build a $1.2m residence in 2018.
The waterfront home boasts state-of-the-art living, seamless indoor/outdoor flow and 180 degree oceans views.
Apart from being a top gun footy star, Dangerfield appears to be quite the project manager and home stylist.
“Sitting casually …. The duel sided fireplace is one of my favourite parts of the house,” he writes in one of his social posts.
“Clad in black Indian granite with charred battens topside.’
The beachfront house features an external spiral staircase up to a rooftop viewing platform, from which “we can capture incredible views right along the beach … to Spout Creek”, including surfing and boating conditions.
The contemporary masterpiece features large windows and expansive decking.
The decorated footballer — an eight-time All-Australian, three-time Geelong best and fairest winner, — said on Danger’s Build the couple spent about a year living in the house while planning the design, after being advised to do so to “understand what you like about it”.
Dangerfield noted in the series his ideal house captured as much natural light as possible, and the build would also take in water views from living and dining spaces and the main bedroom.
The home boasts a charred-timber facade that can withstand coastal weather conditions.
“For us, function has to sit above aesthetic, simply because anything that’s not of decent quality just gets found out so quickly in that environment,” Dangerfield said.
SCOTT PENDLEBURY, BAYSIDE, VIC
Scott and Alex Pendlebury’s two-year search for their next renovation project ended when they fell in love with a house in Melbourne’s Bayside area in December.
The Collingwood champion and his nutritionist and presenter wife bought the property with a pool and tennis court in May for an undisclosed price, understood to be $7m.
They moved in with children Darcy and Jax, and Golden Retriever dog Lenni before Christmas, after selling an Elwood house they built.
Alex said she and Scott started looking for their next project almost as soon as that home was completed, after previously renovating Williamstown and Albert Park houses.
“We didn’t want to build again, we wanted to renovate,” Alex said.
“We really wanted our newest project to be an older house with good bones.”
The new five-bedroom home features a split-level formal lounge room and dining area, poolside games room and wet bar.
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Alex said she and Scott fell in love with the landscape around the house including the hedging and palm trees, with the greenery reminding her of growing up in the leafy northeastern Melbourne suburb of Research and her husband of his country childhood.
“It just had so much potential and we loved the charm of the house too,” she added.
“We will definitely be keeping the bones of the house and modernising the inside,” Alex said.
GAVIN WANGANEEN, BEAUMONT, SA
Former Port Adelaide captain Gavin Wanganeen’s home has to be one of Adelaide’s coolest.
Wanganeen and wife Pippa bought the property nine years ago, attracted by its eastern suburbs location and the space it offered their large family – Gavin and Pippa have four young girls and Gavin has two older children.
And now you too, can live like an AFL great because the home is for sale.
“It was a beautiful home with really good bones and a great backyard and it had nice bedrooms upstairs for the little girls,” Wanganeen said.
“We’ve got a nice lawn area here and a big deck by the pool and the kids are always ripping around that on their scooters and bikes, so they’ve spent many years there getting some great exercise, which is important.”
The home features five bedrooms, a kids’ retreat, a home office, a rumpus room and a swimming pool.
“My art career grew here,” Wanganeen said.
“Pippa encouraged me to get into my art and I found my confidence as an artist here on the kitchen table. That’s where I’ve done all art over the years.
“The area puts me in a really good mood and that’s conducive to creating.”
Although the family are moving to another eastern suburbs home, not all of their art will be leaving Beaumont.
“We feel a painting needs to stay in this house, so whoever buys this house will get a lovely piece of Gavin Wanganeen art so the home can continue its art journey,” Wanganeen said.
“Plus, on the wall behind the bedhead in our bedroom is Gavin Wanganeen wallpaper – this is the very first prototype piece we ever designed.
“It was our trial to see how it looks and we love it, it really brings the bedroom to life.
“We’ll be working towards getting our wallpaper journey happening later in the year.”
Wanganeen said the family would miss the Beaumont home he described as one of his favourites but with his daughters getting serious about their tennis, the time had come to move.
Originally published as The AFL’s slickest homes revealed
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