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

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

Franklin, 37, said an emotional farewell to the sport last August after a legendary career that saw him kick 1066 goals in 19 seasons at the highest level with Hawthorn and Sydney.

The former striker has since moved to the Gold Coast with his young family, although he plans to sell his $9 million luxury home to try life on a farm.

And now the 37-year-old has been named an official ambassador for Superkick, a programme billed as the “cooler big brother” of Auskick, which will see him help 10,000 children.

The programme is aimed at children between the ages of eight and twelve who are trying to develop their football skills or who have played the sport for the first time.

AFL Superkick bans tackles, has reduced team sizes and a shortened season, and aims to provide a good first step into the game.

Franklin will visit schools and go out into the community to “put a smile on children’s faces.”

“When I retired, I obviously wanted to take a deep breath. Obviously, I’ve had that year off and probably in the last few months I’ve been thinking about getting back involved in football in some way,” he said.

“When this opportunity came up, I jumped at it and thought, ‘You know what? This is going to be great for me.'”

‘I’m really looking forward to helping young kids and seeing the game grow as much as possible across Australia, and to be here today at this school and having fun with the kids is amazing.

“I’m looking forward to the next few months.”

Franklin also highlighted the benefits the program has for children.

“I think the most important thing is seeing the smile on the kids’ faces… and also getting out and making new friends,” she said.

“I think that’s the most important thing… being active, getting out and making new friends is really important in this program.”