Default Fans

The Best of #DISCOVERED

“#Discovered is an opportunity for us, the players, to tell our own stories in our own words.” – AFL Players’ President Luke Ball

Channel 7’s #Discovered series, which aired during its Saturday Night Footy broadcast throughout 2014, gave players an opportunity to share the things that matter most to them away from the footy field, and allowed fans to see their favourite players in a whole new light.

“We spend a lot of time researching who they are, not what they do,” producer Chris Jones said, when asked about the concept last year.

“What are their interests away from football? What sort of person are they? Are they bubbly? Are they quiet? What makes them tick?”

For every player, his public persona depicts just part of who he is as a person. For instance, Collingwood Brownlow Medalist Dane Swan is often thought of as a joker, but #Discovered showed another side to him – a man passionate about giving back to the community and dedicated to his family.

In the world of AFL, ‘Buddy’ Franklin is a larger than life figure, but his #Discovered story gave fans an insight into ‘Buddy’ the person, rather than ‘Buddy’ the icon.

His former-teammate Shaun Burgoyne is a role model to many young Indigenous Australians throughout the country. His #Discovered story, focusing on a trip to the Northern Territory to share the game and his experiences, was an important one that may have otherwise gone untold.

Many more players have shared their stories with #Discovered throughout the year, and will do so again in 2015.

“I’m so proud of the players,” Ball said.

“In a game with so much scrutiny it’s not always easy to open up but the players who have been part of the #Discovered series were able to tell their own unique stories with their own personal touch.”

Find out more about #Discovered here