Kristy's Journalism Portfolio

Lance 'Buddy' Franklin will go down as one of the AFL's best-ever players after a stunning 18-year career that was full of goals no other player could ever conceive of kicking. So what were the best Buddy kicked?

The Demons and Magpies are set to face off in a blockbuster King's Birthday clash, as money is raised for motor neurone disorder with Neale Daniher's Big Freeze slide. Follow Daily Mail Australia's live blog for all the action from the MCG.

AFL players don't just wow fans on the field - some are now so good at their craft that they've become millionaires and they're living the high life many of us can only dream of. As the season gets underway for 2023, here are the seven most highly-paid players in the league - and how they spend all that cash.

Recently retired Geelong premiership hero Joel Selwood says he has a 'new footy locker room' for one very heartwarming reason. The four-time premiership player got the fairytale ending so many wished for when the Cats won the 2022 flag, and is now moving on with the next stage of his life in a way that doesn't involve Aussie Rules footy. Selwood told Daily Mail Australia life has not slowed down in the slightest since he finished his storied 355-game career, which included almost every team and individual honour in the sport.

When AFLW premiership winner Heather Anderson died unexpectedly aged just 28 on Monday, it sent the entire footy and defence force world into shock and grief that the much-loved figure was taken so young. Affectionately known as 'Heads', the former Adelaide Crow and Bulldogs representative was one of the fittest female players to ever play the game, and an immensely popular teammate, opponent and friend. Tragically, it is believed the long-time Army medic took her own life at the barracks she was stationed at in Perth, according to veterans community Facebook page The Pineapple Express, which has more than 70,000 followers and supports former and current Defence Force personnel who are struggling. Though Anderson played just one AFLW season - albeit a hugely successful one - due to a horrific run of injuries, the Crows premiership defender touched the lives of everyone she came in contact with during an inspiring footy career. That's evident by the scale of the emotional response to her tragic death from former teammates, opponents, AFLW fans and defence force personnel.

AFL Grand Final AS IT HAPPENED: Almost faultless Geelong win the premiership with a ruthless 81-point demolition of a sorry Sydney side as Patrick Dangerfield says 'It was worth the wait!' • The Geelong Cats are taking on the Sydney Swans in the 2022 AFL Grand Final • Keep updated by following Daily Mail Australia's live blog for the big game Today's the day! The Geelong Cats are set to take on the Sydney Swans at the MCG to decide who will win the 2022 AFL Premiership. The Cats have not lost

Following the news that the AFL Central West (AFLCW) had cancelled the rest of the 2021 season due to the evolving COVID-19 situation in the region, it was announced that no winners would be declared, but that minor premiers would be acknowledged. One of those minor premiers acknowledged was, you guessed it, our undefeated Parkes Panthers!

THE PARKES Panthers have extended their unbeaten run to nine in the AFL Central West Tier 2 competition after a dominant 90-9 victory over the Bathurst Bushrangers Outlaws on Saturday afternoon in Parkes. It means the Panthers still have the astounding percentage of 1019 as they sit 12 points clear in the Tier 2 standings.

REIGNING AFL Central West (AFLCW) Division 2 champions, the Parkes Panthers, are shaping up very nicely for a tilt at the flag after the AFLCW season was launched in Parkes on Sunday with a round robin competition. AFLCW Football Operations Manager, Casey White, was thrilled Parkes were able to host the gala day, giving one of the league's smaller clubs a massive boost.

The fourth instalment of AFLW kicked off at Ikon Park in Carlton on Friday night, and the standard just gets better and better each year! It promises to be the most even season the league has seen, with a least eight sides having legitimate Premiership aspirations.

An outstanding blue-collar performance from Carlton led to a comprehensive 34-point victory over league newcomers, Richmond, in the AFLW season opener at Ikon Park on Friday night.

There’s now just 4 rounds to go until the end of the home and away season, and footy fans everywhere will be drooling at the match-ups we have in store for us. It all kicks off with a replay of the 2017 Prelim Final, where the Tigers will be looking for their 19th win in a row at the ‘G against a resurgent Geelong side. That is just an appertiser for the main, though, with Super Saturday featuring 4 games that have an average line of just +/- 3.5, the highlight of which will undoubtedly be Showdown 45 between the Crows and Power.

Just when you think Super Saturday can’t get any better, along comes one of the biggest Showdowns in recent memory! It’s the 45th instalment of the Showdown, with bitter rivals the Crows and the Power both sitting at 22 wins apiece- and this one will be as big as it gets.

Round 17 gets underway on Thursday night, and we are really starting to get towards the pointy end of the competition, with the Top 8 starting to take shape. Several value winners got up last week, including the multi at $9.54 and a Half/Full Double at $6, and the Wolf is confident that there are plenty of winners to be found this week.

It’s another huge clash between two archrivals when the Bombers take on the Pies at the MCG on Sunday afternoon, with both sides coming into the game in some good form. Essendon have been electric in their last three games, and are completely free of inhibition- but they will come up against a well-coached Collingwood side that has rocketed to 2nd place on the ladder and is now a genuine shot of what previously seemed a highly unlikely Top 4 berth.

The last of the Bye rounds sees a number of one-sided encounters, with some huge lines set for punters. Friday night will undoubtedly be game of the round, when the Dees travel over to Adelaide to take on the Power- a match that is crucial for both sides and their Top 4 aspirations. Wolfie has a great strike-rate with quarter and half betting and is looking towards North Melbourne 2nd Half Line -15.5 ($1.87)

Wolfie loves a good spreadsheet, and with the competition starting to settle down and show some decipherable form lines, it is time for a Brownlow Medal predictor update. Jack Macrae and Nat Fyfe continue to lead the way thanks notable consistency and each have several locks for 3-vote games, while retrospective 2012 winner Trent Cotchin is sneaking up the ladder after his superlative leadership has led the Tigers to 8 wins from 10 games. With 6 votes allocated each game, including .5 (if required) so as to ensure the polling is as consistent as possible (and resistant to bias)- this Predictor model allows for higher value selections closer to the event, when markets like Groups, Head to Heads and ‘To Poll A Vote In X Round’ are open. Multiple sources, including AFLCA votes and other Media awards, are reviewed in addition to the Wolf’s keen Brownlow-scouting eye.

Round 9? Where has the time gone! Rounds 7 and 8 were massive fill-ups for followers of the Wolf, with 6/9 Best Bets saluting in Round 7 before Round 8 saw a huge return of +31 units (including 5 best bets, 4 player props and 3 massive exotics)! There’s no reason the momentum won’t continue, with a number of bets giving the Wolf a high degree of confidence. The highlight of the round will be the twilight fixture on Sunday between first and second on the ladder- Richmond and West Coast- in Perth.

Saturday afternoon footy heads to steamy Shanghai, where the Gold Coast will play at their 4th different ‘home’ venue of the year against the club that has led the charge into Asia, Port Adelaide. This will be the fifth ever game played outside of Australia for Premiership points, and the Power will take great confidence from their first foray here last year, where they won by a whopping 72 points, and they will be looking to run this young Gold Coast side off their feet and ensure their pressure dies off quickly. Will the Suns continue to suffer jet lag after all their frequent flyer miles? Wolfie definitely thinks so.

It’s one of the biggest events on South Australia’s sporting calendar- and Showdown XLVI promises to be no exception when the Power and Crows clash at Adelaide Oval on Saturday afternoon. The Showdown has a storied and eventful history with eurphoric highs and devastating lows. There’s the infamous Ramsgate Hotel fight after serial pest Josh Carr stitched up Mark Ricciuto and then there’s the Crows trying to use the SA jumper as their own in the inaugural match. And who could forget the last Showdown at Football Park where Angus Monfries bent the ball at right angles and Chad ‘Clutch’ Wingard kicked a game-sealing goal with 30 seconds to play. Tragically, the most memorable Showdown came about after the horrific circumstances surrounding Phil Walsh’s passing, who was a much-loved coach at both clubs- and it serves as a timely reminder that this Showdown will simply be a game (a big one, nonetheless) and not the be all and end all. Can the Power draw on their reserves of emotion and spirit with which footy pundits say leaves them either fired up or completely vulnerable- or will Adelaide be the pride of South Australia?