Latest news with #LanceFranklin
Daily Mail
08-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Jesinta Franklin opens up about 'hard' pregnancy that kept her housebound for months – as she prepares for baby number three with husband Buddy
Jesinta Franklin has opened up about the downside of pregnancy as she prepares to welcome baby number three. The AFL WAG, 33, and husband Lance 'Buddy' Franklin, 38, are already proud parents to daughter Tullulah, five, and son Rocky, four. The soon-to-be mum-of-three looked absolutely radiant as she stepped out onto the red carpet for the opening night of the Melbourne International Film Festival this week. The 33-year-old stunned in a pale blue, silk gown that skimmed over her burgeoning baby bump as she cradled the precious cargo in her hands. Speaking to 7News at the event, Jesinta admitted that her pregnancy had not always been plain sailing. Jesinta admitted that her third pregnancy had kept her housebound for months. 'I spent about 10 weeks on the couch and that was pretty hard,' Jesinta said. Jesinta, who is due to welcome her third child in December, added that she was 'grateful' to have got through what had been a hard first trimester. 'I am so grateful and thankful, but it's nice to have come out on the other side,' she said. It was a similar sentiment that Jesinta shared after announcing her impending arrival. She admitted on her Instagram Stories that the last few months had been taxing. 'Looks cute, but this person has given me a rough time the last couple of months,' she wrote alongside three sick face emojis. 'Sadly I'm not someone who thrives when they are pregnant.' In another slide, the model shared a candid selfie pretending to be asleep. Speaking to 7News at the opening night of the Melbourne International Film Festival this week, Jesinta admitted that her pregnancy had not always been plain sailing 'The reality of the last 6 weeks. House, couch or bed bound given the odd occasion. Finally succumbed to medication and it's been game-changing,' she captioned the image of her resting beside Buddy. She went on to express her gratitude and revealed the couple would be keeping the child's gender a surprise this time around, alongside an image of a pregnancy test. 'An absolute blessing,' she began. 'Even though we thought we were happy and done with two beautiful children, we have been lucky enough to add another to the family. 'Life works in mysterious ways and I'm leaning into this next chapter with a grateful heart. 'Lulu and Rocky are beside themselves and can't wait to meet their baby. 'Keeping the gender a surprise this time around,' she added. Jesinta announced her pregnancy in an Instagram post in early June. In a candid video, Jesinta shared a silhouette of herself cradling her growing baby bump while her two children, daughter Tullulah, five, and son Rocky, four, played around her. One segment showed Rocky kissing his mum's pregnant belly. 'Tullulah and Rocky are getting a baby brother or sister for Christmas. The most beautiful surprise of all,' the model captioned her post. She continued: 'Our hearts are full, and yet we share this news with deep sensitivity. I know that announcements like this can be incredibly hard for those who are walking the path of infertility or loss.
Daily Mail
07-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
AFL WAG Jesinta Franklin debuts her blossoming baby bump in silk gown at Melbourne International Film Festival ahead of welcoming third child
Jesinta Franklin has shown off her baby bump for the first time. The AFL WAG, who is expecting her third child with her husband Lance 'Buddy' Franklin, debuted her blossoming baby bump at the Melbourne International Film Festival on Thursday night. The 33-year-old stunned in a pale blue, silk gown which skimmed over her bump as she cradled it in her hands. The strapless number was cut in a maxi length, and she paired it with glistening ruby heels. Jesinta matched her lipstick and man manicure to her shoes, going for a fire-engine red, otherwise keeping her makeup subtle. She wore her brunette locks in a retro bob, and finished the look with a silver chain that sat on her clavicles. The WAG recently shared one of her pregnancy cravings - and it turns out she eats it straight from the tin. Jesinta proudly showed off an image of a half-eaten tin of baked beans with the lid peeled back, and a spoon resting in the saucy goodness. 'Obsessed with baked beans right now,' she wrote beside the image, alongside a pregnant person and crying face emojis. Jesinta announced her pregnancy in an Instagram post in early June. In a candid video, Jesinta shared a silhouette of herself cradling her growing baby bump while her two children, daughter Tullulah, five, and son Rocky, four, played around her. One segment showed Rocky kissing his mum's pregnant belly. 'Tullulah and Rocky are getting a baby brother or sister for Christmas. The most beautiful surprise of all,' the model captioned her post. She continued: 'Our hearts are full and yet, we share this news with deep sensitivity. I know that announcements like this can be incredibly hard for those who are walking the path of infertility or loss. My heart is with you, always.' In another slide, the model shared a candid selfie pretending to be asleep. 'The reality of the last 6 weeks. House, couch or bed bound given the odd occasion. Finally succumbed to medication and it's been game changing,' she captioned the image of her resting beside Buddy. She went on to express her gratitude and revealed the couple will be keeping the child's gender a surprise this time around, alongside an image of a pregnancy test. 'An absolute blessing,' she began. 'Even though we thought we were happy and done with two beautiful children, we have been lucky enough to add another to the family. 'Life works in mysterious ways and I'm leaning into this next chapter with a grateful heart. 'Lulu and Rocky are beside themselves and can't wait to meet their baby. 'Keeping the gender a surprise this time around,' she added.
News.com.au
28-07-2025
- Automotive
- News.com.au
Behind the scenes in Kia's Tasman Town
How many sports stars does it take to convince Australians that Kia can make a good, off-road, dual cab ute? The South Korean car manufacturer – better known for their sensible SUVs – clearly thinks the answer is a lot. Last week, for the launch of its first-ever ute, the Tasman, Kia shipped Alex Volkanovski, Lance Franklin, David Boonie, Damien Oliver, Alfie Langer, Steve Waugh, Dane Swan, Nathan Hindmarsh and Darren Lockyer to a small country town in the Central West of New South Wales. A truly impressive bevy of athletes. Some of the biggest names in Australian sport. And they were all brought together to participate in what might best be described as a night of improvisational theatre. No, really. For the launch, Kia took over Sofala, a historic gold rush town with a population of around 100 people, and transformed it into 'Tasman Town', the imaginary destination featured in their ads. I was one of a few dozen motoring writers and media types who were invited along for the event. On arrival, we were greeted as though we were newcomers to the area, interested in buying a local property. To help us get acquainted with the town, an actor, playing the local mayor, gave us a tour of the main street. Along the way, we were introduced to a few of the 'residents'. These were, of course, the athletes who were in character as … well … themselves. But versions of themselves who drove Kias, worked trades, and lived in a fake town. Frankly, I call this non-consensual improvisation. Usually, I would gnaw off my own hand to avoid it. Kia, perhaps being one step ahead of dissidents like myself, were mercifully quick to distribute beer and wine to prevent any such drastic actions. Certainly, some athletes were more comfortable in their acting roles than others. UFC Featherweight Champion Alex Volkanovski – pretending to a butcher – was a standout performer. I suppose if your actual job is beating men into a pulp with your knuckles, all other gigs are comparatively easy. A few actual Sofala residents were also involved in the show. They had the important job of walking ponies and goats up and down the street. You know, just like any ordinary country town. The rest of the locals had gathered at the pub, schooners in hand, to watch the palaver unfold. Their faces were inscrutable as the media pack shuffled past. Once the mandatory theatre component of the evening had concluded, guests and the sporting icons were free to mingle. This, I realise, would be a dream event for many Australians. Unfortunately, as someone with terrible facial memory and a dearth of knowledge on any non car-related sport, I was in a personally-tailored horror story. Every conversation was socially fraught. Did this person look familiar because I've met them at a car launch? Or are they an Australian sporting legend whom I should absolutely know? There were a million ways for a person like me to socially embarrass themselves. Inevitably, it wasn't long before I found one. During the evening's formal dinner, the person assigned to the place next to me sat down, shook my hand and asked, 'Who are you?'. This was an aggressive start to a conversation, I thought. I fired back, 'I'm Stephanie, who are you?' To which he replied, very politely, that he was Nathan Hindmarsh, one of the footy players. Also, he clarified, he'd asked me how are you, not who are you. Hindmarsh then proceeded to further shame me by being thoroughly funny and charming for the rest of the evening. The Tasman launch was an extravaganza, but I was obviously not the target audience. The fact that no female sporting stars were present – even though they featured in some of the ads – is further evidence of this fact. If Kia has a vision board for the Tasman, dead centre is a caricature of an Aussie tradesman. Their method for appealing to these men – getting high-profile sporting heroes to pretend to be tradies – is borderline patronising. But Kia is not in a position to take any serious creative risks. They need the Tasman to work in Australia. This is no small task. Kia is entering a very established, highly-competitive dual cab ute market late in the day, and with a car that is being thoroughly panned online for its boxy, brutalist design. Kia has decided to align itself with winners.
The Guardian
16-07-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Bulldogs need to lock down Marcus Bontempelli's future above all else
It was a familiar story for Marcus Bontempelli and his team on the weekend. To mine the stats sheet, no player on the ground had more possessions, tackles, clearances, inside 50s and metres gained. It still wasn't enough. The Bulldogs lost to a good side, but remain a decidedly lopsided, occasionally exhilarating and increasingly bewildering team. Leading his team off, the captain had the same look he often gets after losses like that – the wrung-out look of a man asking: 'How much more do I have to do here?' Helen Garner, like half of Melbourne, is currently writing a book about the mushroom killer. Before that, in The Season, it wasn't barristers, jurors and murderers she was jotting notes about, but footballers – her grandson's football team and the Western Bulldogs, specifically. Here she is on Lance Franklin being booed: 'It's a wounded face, with the wiped look of someone who's copped a ringing slap across the cheek – all his expression lines gone.' Or on Rory Lobb: 'I have a soft spot for him because he reminds me of a long-ago boyfriend, a rangy great bunch of bones with a dramatic head and a rare, sweet smile.' Or on Toby Greene: 'Something about the shape of his head, like a tilted olive, and his vain little walk undermines my admiration for him.' On Bontempelli, four words suffice: 'His quiet, faithful brilliance.' The Bulldogs recently uploaded footage of their captain playing footy as a boy and you can see the etchings of the athlete he would become – the swivel and spin, the authoritative left boot, the half-second longer than all the other kids. His first possession at the professional level was something we've seen thousands of times since – scrapping on his knees, stripping the ball off his opponent and handballing to create. Since that moment, there's been no significant fluctuations from week to week, from season to season, even from quarter to quarter. There are exceptions, of course: he was bullied by GWS in the elimination final in 2019 and was strangely subdued in last year's final against Hawthorn. But that's about it. You can be pretty sure he's going to be somewhere near brilliant, every week, every season. What a luxury it must be to coach someone like that. And what a joy it is to support a team with a player of that calibre. Physically, he's perfect for the modern game. He's strong enough through the hips and core to absorb contact, to chop his way out of tackles and to still get his handballs away. The champion midfielders of previous generations were shorter and stockier and distributed lower to the ground. A recurring image of this taller generation of midfielders – of Patrick Cripps, of Tom Green and certainly of Bomtempelli – is of them handballing out of trouble from an upright position. But his size doesn't compromise his ability to run all day and to sprint forward. He's quicker than his gait suggests. He's almost never run down. He's an outstanding endurance athlete and regularly finishes in the Top 3 in their time trials. At stoppages, he's always on his toes, always alert, like a tennis player returning serve. He's never more dangerous than at a stoppage, about 25 metres out, with a bit of space carved out on his left side. He slams the ball on his boot with relish and he almost never misses. His goal in the third quarter of the 2021 grand final, just as he was playing himself into September folklore, is the exemplar – but he does it nearly every week. At just 29, his record is incredible: six-time All-Australian, six-time club champion, and three-time league MVP. The Bont does the lot. He bores in and lopes out. He carries the Dogs when they're no good, he fronts the media when they've pissed away another season and he's the cherry on top when they're on a blitz. Bontempelli and the club are now thrashing out the terms of a new contract: it's impossible to imagine him playing anywhere else. It's hard to think of an individual player who means more to a club and its supporters. The Bulldogs need a lot of things: they need a functional backline. They need to start beating good teams. They need to make the most of a soft draw to secure a double chance. But most of all, they need Bontempelli's signature. He has given them everything. A simple squiggle of the pen would mean the world to this club, and would go a long way to ensuring he's the greatest player to ever pull on the jumper. The Dogs have a perfect record in nine matches against sides in the bottom half of the ladder, but are still to prove their premiership credentials ahead of facing the Lions on Friday night. Bontempelli was 18 and the game was in the balance when he kicked one of the goals of the decade against Melbourne. It showcased everything that would make him great in subsequent years – scrambling on his hands and knees, stripping the ball back one-handed, spinning out of trouble and thrashing the ball on to his non-preferred boot. The situational and spatial awareness belied his 10 games to that point. 'The special ones move differently,' teammate Rob Murphy later wrote about that moment. 'Something in the nuances of their game sets them apart from the rest of us. Playing alongside him, I could hear the appreciation from our own supporters. It was even better from a few feet away. With the ball in his hands, he'd lope away in slow motion, like he was wading through waist-deep water, the sea of stragglers falling away in his wake.' Ahead of his 200th AFL game on Sunday against the Crows, Gold Coast's Daniel Rioli says the team is confident. 'We've built momentum throughout the year. We're mature. I'm just looking forward to where we're going to head in the future.' 'The AFL will need to take a step forward in helping to manage these issues with players, but I'm not forecasting the specific way of dealing with it. It gets tiring for the people who are involved, who are receiving this regularly.' Sign up to From the Pocket: AFL Weekly Jonathan Horn brings expert analysis on the week's biggest AFL stories after newsletter promotion Port Adelaide's football manager, Chris Davies, wants the AFL to do more to support clubs and players in the fight against racism. Port's Jase Burgoyne and Saints young gun Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera shared details of messages they received on social media after their games last weekend. Any thoughts you want to share? Reply to this email or send your views to fromthepocket@ Which club has the longest current winning steak against Geelong – Brisbane, Carlton, GWS Giants or St Kilda? Bonus point if you know how many matches in a row they have won. Answers in next week's newsletter, but if you think you know it, hit reply and let me know. Last week's answer: Which of Brisbane, Fremantle or Port Adelaide had the longest wait to win a first final? Fremantle finally won a final in their 12th season. Congratulations to Brian Loorham, who was first to reply with the right answer. Fremantle and their coach Justin Longmuir are easy targets but deserve respect for hitting back at their critics. West Coast player Jack Graham has been suspended for four matches after using a 'highly offensive' homophobic slur. Reply to this email and drop me a line, or email fromthepocket@ Have a friend who might? Forward this to them, or tell them how to get it.
News.com.au
16-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
The ‘bulls*** excuses' behind Buddy Franklin's GSW Giants betrayal
It was the trade bombshell that rocked the AFL to its core. At the end of the 2013 season, the football world expected Lance Franklin to take his talents to New South Wales and join AFL expansion side GWS on a monster deal that would put the expansion club on the map. But they were only half right. Buddy did head north but in a move still seen as one of the wildest in AFL history, he had secretly agreed to sign with Sydney on a massive nine-year deal worth $10m. The beauty of the deal was that only a handful of people knew what was really happening – and they all ensured the secret never slipped out. But through the Code Sports Dealmaker series, it can now be revealed that a series of 'bullsh** excuses' did tip one rival player manager off and he ensured his client cashed in. Prominent player manager Anthony McConville cracked the case through a process of elimination. He had been working away on what should have been a regular contract for Sydney's reigning premiership ruckman Shane Mumford. But every time McConville tried to sit down with the Swans' general manager of football Dean Moore, all he received was the player manager's version of a 'don't argue' rebuff. 'I knew Dean (Moore) wasn't keen to do a deal,' McConville told Code Sports as part of its Dealmakers Series. 'I was ringing him every second week and he would make up every bulls*** excuse under the sun. He was giving me the stiff arm. 'I knew mid-season something was going on. I was doing the numbers. I knew exactly what Mummy was earning. I knew there was nearly $2m (the Swans) were banking. 'I said to a couple of close confidants, 'Don't be surprised if there is a backflip here … don't be surprised if he (Franklin) ends up in Sydney.' McConville was right and Buddy's move meant the Giants now had a wheelbarrow full of cash to splash and Mumford got his slice. He joined the Giants on a three-year-deal and went on to play 116 games with the club.
