Buddy Franklin makes surprise return to footy just 12 months after walking away from the game

Buddy Franklin has announced his return to footy just 12 months after retiring from the AFL.

Franklin, 37, bid an emotional farewell to the sport last August after a legendary career that saw him score 1066 goals across 19 seasons at the top level with Hawthorn and Sydney.

The former forward has since relocated to the Gold Coast with his young family, although he is planning to sell his $9million luxury home in order to try farm life.

And now, the 37-year-old has been named an official ambassador for Superkick, a program billed as Auskick’s ‘cooler older sibling’, which will see him help 10,000 kids. 

The program is aimed for kids aged between eight and 12 who are trying to develop their footy skills or who have picked up the sport for the first time.

AFL Superkick bans tackles, has small team sizes as well as a shorter season, and aims to provide a good first step into the game.

Franklin will visit schools and get out in the community to ‘put a smile on kids’ faces.’

‘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,’ he said. 

The footy legend retired from the AFL last year but is back involved in the game

‘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.’

Franklin also pinpointed the benefits that the program has for kids.

‘I think the most important thing is seeing the smile on the kids’ faces … then also getting out there and building new friendships,’ he said.

‘I think that’s the most important thing … being active, getting outside and building new friendships is really important in this program.’