Footy fans will be able to discover a slice of the sport’s little-known history when AFL Team Builders — a ground-breaking podcast exploring the formation of all non-Victorian expansion clubs — launches this week.
The trailer for AFL Team Builders can be viewed here.
Featuring inaugural CEOs, presidents, coaches, board members, and star players, the eight-part series goes behind the scenes with the people tasked with building the clubs that joined the then-VFL (and subsequent AFL) as it expanded beyond the confines of Victoria.
Hosted by experienced sports journalist Niall Seewang and produced by Phoenix Trinidad and the team at Zero Hanger, AFL Team Builders reveals never-before-heard details of the difficulties and controversies involved in the early years of each club.
The debut episode went live on Tuesday, July 02, starting with South Melbourne’s emotional, trailblazing move to Sydney in 1982. New episodes will drop weekly, exploring the builds of the Brisbane Bears, West Coast Eagles, Adelaide Crows, Fremantle Dockers, Port Adelaide Power, Gold Coast Suns, and GWS Giants.
AFL Team Builders is a journey into the historic foundations on which every expansion club was built. Who knew, for example, that Fremantle’s nickname was such a closely guarded secret that military intelligence helped keep the Dockers’ moniker under wraps?
Key highlights of AFL Team Builders
• Weekly episodes focusing on each club: Every episode concentrates on one specific club, taking listeners on an engaging and informative journey as visions became realities for the league’s eight non-Victorian teams.
• Diverse range of guests: Host Niall Seewang talks with those who brought these clubs to life, including inaugural captains (inc. West Coast’s Ross Glendinning), coaches (inc. Peter Knights, Brisbane Bears), presidents (inc, Greg Boulton, Port Adelaide), players (inc. Dennis Carrol, Sydney) as well as the board members and administrators.
• Engaging format: AFL Team Builders is designed to be both entertaining and informative, with a perfect blend of storytelling, interviews, and expert insights.
Quotes:
“When Grant O’Brien was appointed as the inaugural Chair of the Tasmanian AFL Team in mid-2023, it made me curious about the pressures faced by initial employees of sporting franchises. I realised there must have been a handful of employees tasked with building every AFL club from scratch, and I wanted to know more.
“Talking to the people involved with building these new VFL/AFL clubs, I was shocked at the extreme difficulties, absurd realities and controversial moments all these teams faced when they joined the national competition.”
— AFL Team Builders host, Niall Seewang
How to Watch / Listen:
Don’t miss out on the journey – watch AFL Team Builders on the Zero Hanger YouTube channel or subscribe wherever you get your audio podcasts: Apple Podcasts, Spotify
Key Episode Dates:
Sydney Swans: July 02, 2024
Brisbane Bears: July 09, 2024
West Coast Eagles: July 16, 2024
Adelaide Crows: July 23, 2024
Fremantle Dockers: July 30, 2024
Port Adelaide Power: August 06, 2024
Gold Coast Suns: August 13, 2024
GWS Giants: August 20, 2024
