Buddy Franklin and wife in $9 million move after Swans champion's retirement from AFL
The Franklin's have spoken about wanting to move to the country to live on a farm.
Former AFL star Lance 'Buddy' Franklin and his wife Jesinta have officially put their multi-million dollar 'dream home' on the Gold Coast up for sale, just 18 months after purchasing it. The couple could fetch upwards of $9 million for the seven bedroom home in the Gold Coast suburb of Reedy Creek that they forked out a cool $8.75 million for in 2022.
The Franklins' purchase of 'Villa Casa' smashed the previous sales record in the emerging Gold Coast hinterland suburb, according to realestate.com.au. The sprawling eight-bathroom Mediterranean-style property features a huge pool with a swim-up bar, built-in barbecue, games room, living room and panoramic views, and is spread out across a huge 4497sq m block.
Jesinta has shared stunning pictures of the family home on social media, including a New Year’s Eve celebration at the house. But the AFL great's wife revealed last month on Channel 7’s The Morning Show that the couple and their two children were ready to sell the stunning house and embark on a new adventure. She revealed plans for the family to buy a farm and move to the country to live but it's unclear if they have already purchased another property.
“We love it. We absolutely love it," Jesinta said about enjoying more family time with her husband now that he's retired from the AFL. "We’re actually thinking of selling up and buying a farm now, so yeah, we’ll see how we go... We just love the idea of being on land, growing our own food, having horses, a couple of Highland cows, we’d love that. It could be something interesting.”
Buddy retired from the AFL last year and was given an emotional send-off at the SCG during a Sydney Swans game late in the season. But it wasn't until earlier this year that Franklin made a proper farewell to fans at the MCG during Hawthorn's match against Sydney. Franklin played 172 games for the Swans, but he also made 182 appearances for Hawthorn and is considered a legend at both clubs. Buddy also decided to skip his retirement press conference at the Swans, before relocating with his family to the Gold Coast.
Buddy Franklin enjoying time with family after AFL retirement
The family's move up north saw Buddy linked with a non-playing role at the Gold Coast Suns, but the 37-year-old turned down the club's advances. Jesinta insisted her husband's love of the sport was still burning bright - particularly for his two beloved clubs - but that he was content being able to enjoy more family time after his retirement from the AFL.
“We’re getting so much quality time together and we always make sure that we watch the Swannies and the Hawks games,” Jesinta said. “There’s those two games we carve out the time out for and watch them. So we still feel like we’re a little bit a part of it but it’s nice not to be stressed out by it or have the pressure of winning or losing.”
Buddy finished his career in 2023 as as the fourth-greatest goalkicker (1066 goals) in VFL/AFL history after joining Tony Lockett, Gordon Coventry and Jason Dunstall as the only players to break the magical 1000 barrier. He was also a two-time premiership player, eight-time All-Australian and four-time Coleman medallist and is regarded as one of the sport's all-time greats.
