HAWTHORN star Lance Franklin is known for his ventures in the business world, but what people don’t know, is that taking himself out of the football bubble actually assists him when he’s consumed by it.

It is becoming increasingly common to see AFL footballers venture into the business world, while some prefer to undertake university studies and others, a role in the media.

The activities outside football are widespread in the AFL spectrum and is pushed by the AFL Players Association to assist with the transition AFL footballers experience when their career comes to a close.

For Franklin, it’s shares in successful fashion labels and last year, the development of the Buddy Ball, aimed at assisting aspiring young footballers in perfecting the drop punt, torpedo, snaps and bananas. It can even be used by right footers, even though Franklin is one of the many left footers at Hawthorn.

Most recently, he released the Buddy Boots, casual shoes produced by Mack Boots and designed by the star forward himself.

Soon too, a new branch of the boots will be released with steel caps, designed for those who require protective footwear.

Franklin credits the Club for the program it has in place to encourage its players to generate interests outside football to set them up for life post-footy.

He says it’s something he was immediately aware of and took seriously.

“One thing about Hawthorn Football Club is as soon as you get drafted into the system, the Club has been really big on pushing guys to do either study or develop some outside interests,” he told hawthornfc.com.au

“The Club in that side of things has been really good and a lot of the boys at our club are either doing uni or business, which is something that every football club in the AFL is starting to do now which is really positive.”

A number of players at Hawthorn undertake university studies – Luke Breust and Ryan Schoenmakers are currently together completing Commerce degrees, Kyle Cheney has just begun a Nursing course and Isaac Smith and Sam Mitchell are currently completing their MBAs.

Jack Gunston, Brian Lake, Luke Hodge, Shane Savage, Brent Guerra, Matt Suckling, Derek Wanganeen, Alex Woodward, Andrew Boseley and International Scholarship holder, Kurt Heatherley all meet at the Club on their day off to complete their Diploma of Management.

Jordan Lewis is an apprentice plumber, Jarryd Roughead and Liam Shiels are completing a TAFE landscaping course and Jonathan Ceglar is a qualified electrician.

Josh Gibson too, has a number of interests outside football, partnered with a number of business owners, including a new venture with The Last Piece café owners at Waverley Park, the Brighton Schoolhouse.

Franklin believes the opportunity and encouragement the players get to pursue their other interests and even enjoy those as teammates, student and business partners is what contributes to the culture, the mateship and the camaraderie in the inner sanctum of Hawthorn Football Club.

“It’s always good to meet other people outside football and take yourself away from that environment sometimes and have other interests,” he said.

“A lot of the boys do that and I think that’s what makes our team so good because there are a lot of boys doing things together, whether it be uni or outside interests with businesses and things like that.

“It’s a really good thing.”

So how does that help Hawthorn’s star forward and one of the most sought-after players in the AFL with his game?

He says it helps keep his mind fresh when the time comes to play footy, to sit in meetings and play and perform well in the big games.

“It takes your mind away from everything just being about football, it’s good to just see the real world sometimes,” he said.

“It’s definitely good to have those outside interests, it has an impact.”

Midfielder Issac Smith agrees with his teammates’ summation, crediting the ability to step away from football and complete his Master of Business for his current vein of form.

Smith has been one of Hawthorn’s best performed players in the last six weeks, averaging 25.6 disposals since Round 16.

That form culminated in Friday night’s win over Collingwood where he received three votes from the coaches – Alastair Clarkson and Nathan Buckley in the AFLCA Champion Player of the Year award.

Smith booted three goals and gathered 21 disposals in the win over the Pies.

“I’m keeping myself busy off field with my studies and making sure that I’ve got a clear mind come game day,” he said of the reasons behind his recent good form.