As the AFL Players Association celebrates 50 years, key players in the industry look back at how the game and the players have changed.
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Gavin Wanganeen blazed into football with a flurry of premierships and medals. By the age of 20 he was one of the superstars of the Australian Football League. He was the back pocket star who dared to be different. Incredibly skilled, totally professional and the epitome of the humble champion. Gavin Wanganeen's story is a must for every young player with his sights on the stars.
An intimate and important story that demands to be told, Revealed - Danielle Laidley: Two Tribes this must-see documentary is an in-depth journey of a remarkable woman who has endured some difficult bumps in the road while achieving countless plaudits along the way. Utilising personal archival material including photos, journals and videos, audiences will witness Danielle’s early childhood in a working-class suburb of Perth, to her career as an elite athlete and as a renowned senior AFL coach. Cameras also capture the emotional moments as Danielle faces her family and friends for the first time.
Has there ever been a more awesome or imposing footballer than Tony Lockett? Modern football historians would probably say no, for Lockett is peerless, unstoppable and wonderfully skilled.
Through the lens of sport, AFL legend Michael O'Loughlin shines a light on the history and experience of the Indigenous Australian people. Current AFL players, Michael Walters and Tarryn Thomas, join O'Loughlin to unpack racism, discrimination and the unbreakable bond they each share with their indigenous communities.
A new tell-all documentary follows the life of controversial Australian Rules footballer Ben Cousins. Such Is Life: The Troubled Times of Ben Cousins includes footage of the Richmond footballer admitting he's a drug addict, and emotional scenes as his family struggle to cope. The end result is deeply emotional and compelling. It's a cautionary tale - the inside story of a superstar footballer who made some bad choices along the way and ended up in a titanic struggle with drug addiction.
Heritier Lumumba, formerly known as Harry O'Brien, was in the middle of his best season of AFL when his club president, Eddie McGuire, made a racist on-air comment, suggesting that Sydney Swans player Adam Goodes could be used to promote a King Kong musical. As a man of colour and strong supporter of equality, Lumumba chose to speak out against his high-profile boss. What followed was a media storm and an on-air showdown with McGuire which painted Lumumba as an overly PC, hyper-sensitive villain. Through exclusive access to Lumumba, his friends and family, AFL legends Mick Malthouse, former Collingwood Captain Nick Maxwell and sports journalists, Fair Game uncovers the personal and professional journey of a man who at the top of his game, dared to hold a mirror to a nation that didn't like what it saw.
The Ripple Effect is a powerful documentary primarily centred around St Kilda legend and proud Noongar Nicky Winmar's generation-defining stand against racism at Victoria Park in 1993.
THE SAINTS FROM 1897 TO 2003 St Kilda – the name alone brings to mind the very passion of the game. This is a club that has tasted just a brief touch of heaven and more than its fair share of hell. From the glory of that famous 1966 premiership through to years in turmoil, Heaven and Hell traces the story of one of the AFL’s great football clubs. On field heroes, off field battles. The great players like Baldock, Stewart, Ditterich, Smith, Barker, Lockett and Harvey playing against a backdrop of political tension. Originally released in 1997, this is an updated version produced for DVD. It now contains Harvey’s Brownlows, the 1997 finals campaign and the coaching crisis that saw Stan Alves, Tim Watson and Malcolm Blight leave the club.
Unveiling the lives and careers of AFL Head coaches, The Chosen Few includes interviews from some of the game's greatest coaches, both past and present.
A 30-minute observational film about fanatical AFL football supporters, the "Sainters" of St. Kilda Football Club. Shot over 18 months (1991-92) in and around the grounds - and homes - of suburban Melbourne, it holds the record as the film with the 'most swearing per minute of screen time', and quite possibly the 'most pirated short film in Melbourne.
In 1967 a group of Victorian AFL (VFL) stars jetted off to challenge the All-Ireland champions, County Meath, at their own game. The players were, and are, household names – Barassi, Skilton, Jesaulenko, Davis, Hart, Nicholls, Mann, Dugdale, Fraser. Most didn’t own passports. Most had barely been out of Victoria. Ex-umpire and media juggernaut Harry Beitzel was the man who made it happen. He mortgaged his house. He organised the opponent. He flew his team of champions on a milk run to Darwin, Hong Kong, Paris, Dublin, London, New York and beyond to plant the seed of international competition. The Galahs is a rare feature film that reconnects fans with all time greats of both VFL and GAA football.
An exclusive behind the scenes documentary with unprecedented access on the spic 2011 AFL Grand Final. It tells the stories behind the game featuring interviews with Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse and Geelong coach Chris Scott. A wonderful piece of storytelling, the emotional and gripping interviews make 2 Hours compelling viewing for any AFL fan.
AFL legend Adam Goodes shares the story of his life and career to offer a deeper insight into race, identity, and belonging.
Australian documentary filmmaker Ian Darling re-examines the incidents that marked the final 3 years of Indigenous footballer Adam Goodes' playing career. Made entirely from archival footage, photos and interviews sourced from television, radio and newspapers, the film reviews the national conversation that took place over this period.
Port Adelaide Football Club is one of the world’s oldest and most successful sporting clubs, celebrating 150 years in 2020. Love it or hate it, the club has become an integral part of the history of Adelaide people. Share the passionate first-hand accounts from players and one-eyed supporters who bleed for the club.
Kick Like Tayla shares a raw and unfiltered look into the life of AFLW player and boxing champion, Tayla Harris, as she confronts public and personal challenges, and channels her platform for good.
Australia’s national game is under threat from all world sports. Now the AFL must find new ways to survive in this global market. AUSSIE RULES THE WORLD follows AFL superstar Brett Kirk on an international mission to save the game. Narrated by award winning actor David Wenham- this film uncovers people’s passion for footy in unexpected corners of the globe. Footy will never be the same!
Although about top Aboriginal sportsmen, BLACK MAGIC is more than a film about sport. It is an account of the creative use of sport made by the Noongar people of Western Australia's south-west to advance their people's standing. Denied access to other areas of social life like most Aboriginal communities at the time, the Noongars, from as early as 1920, channelled the natural talent of their young people into the arena of competitive sport, notably running, boxing and football. Competitive sport, as filmmaker Paul Roberts notes, is 'an open gate, a universal rite of passage, an opportunity to achieve recognition and acceptance.'
This raw and moving documentary charts former AFL footballer Jim Stynes' journey, from arriving in Australia at 18 to be coming one of the AFL's most celebrated players, and onto his diagnosis and struggle with cancer.
Based on the book published the same year, 100 Years of Australian Football explores the 100 year past of Australia's national game. Covering the history of the Victorian/Australian Football League covering the period 1897 to 1996, the documentary is an exhilarating chronicle, including lively reporting and analysis of the big issues and stirring accounts of the legendary players, teams and coaches.
A detailing of the rise to prominence and global sporting superstardom of six supremely talented young Manchester United football players (David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Phil and Gary Neville). The film covers the period 1992-1999, culminating in Manchester United's European Cup triumph.
A feature length, theatrical documentary on the life of Paul Gascoigne, one of the greatest footballers that ever lived: delving deep into his psyche, vulnerabilities, fears and triumphs.
Ten of Muhammad Ali's former rivals pay tribute to the three-time world heavyweight champion.
A compilation of over 30 years of private home movie footage shot by Lithuanian-American avant-garde director Jonas Mekas, assembled by Mekas "purely by chance", without concern for chronological order.
JB Smoove and Martin Starr host a celebration of 20 years of "Spider-Man" movies, from the Sam Raimi trilogy to Marc Webb's movies and the trio from Jon Watts.
A documentary about how a dominant cultural and demographic institution both sustains their traditional activities and adapts to the digital revolution.
A documentary about the making of season five of the acclaimed AMC series Breaking Bad.
A documentary on Argentinean soccer star Diego Maradona, regarded by many as the world's greatest modern player.
Behind-the-scenes documentary about how Lionel Messi succeeded in lifting the World Cup – the only trophy to have eluded him in an incredible career.
The definitive portrait of one of sport's most inspirational, influential figures - whose legacy lives on far beyond the football field.
A documentary that explores the downloading revolution; the kids that created it, the bands and the businesses that were affected by it, and its impact on the world at large.
The Making-of James Cameron's Avatar. It shows interesting parts of the work on the set.
Filmmakers discuss the legacy of Alfred Hitchcock and the book “Hitchcock/Truffaut” (“Le cinéma selon Hitchcock”), written by François Truffaut and published in 1966.
SEDUCED AND ABANDONED combines acting legend Alec Baldwin with director James Toback as they lead us on a troublesome and often hilarious journey of raising financing for their next feature film. Moving from director to financier to star actor, the two players provide us with a unique look behind the curtain at the world's biggest and most glamourous film festival, shining a light on the bitter-sweet relationship filmmakers have with Cannes and the film business. Featuring insights from directors Martin Scorsese, 'Bernando Bertolucci' and Roman Polanski; actors Ryan Gosling and Jessica Chastain and a host of film distribution luminaries.
A heartfelt documentary focusing on the day-to-day lives of professional wrestlers, some on the rise, some on the wane, and others fighting for their lives.
The most comprehensive retrospective of the '80s action film genre ever made.
When Allied forces liberated the Nazi concentration camps in 1944-45, their terrible discoveries were recorded by army and newsreel cameramen, revealing for the first time the full horror of what had happened. Making use of British, Soviet and American footage, the Ministry of Information’s Sidney Bernstein (later founder of Granada Television) aimed to create a documentary that would provide lasting, undeniable evidence of the Nazis’ unspeakable crimes. He commissioned a wealth of British talent, including editor Stewart McAllister, writer and future cabinet minister Richard Crossman – and, as treatment advisor, his friend Alfred Hitchcock. Yet, despite initial support from the British and US Governments, the film was shelved, and only now, 70 years on, has it been restored and completed by Imperial War Museums under its original title "German Concentration Camps Factual Survey".
A documentary focused on plastic pollution in the world's oceans.
Through deeply personal interviews with her siblings and an examination of the photographs, letters, and belongings left behind, Mariska assembles a new portrait of her mother Jayne Mansfield, an extraordinary and complex woman.
Filmed over 14 months with unprecedented access into the inner circle of the man and the sport, this is the first official and fully authorised film of one of the most celebrated figures in football. For the first time ever, the world gets vividly candid and un-paralleled, behind-closed-doors access to the footballer, father, family-man and friend in this moving & fascinating documentary. Through in-depth conversations, state of the art football footage and never before seen archival footage, the film gives an astonishing insight into the sporting and personal life of triple Ballon D'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo at the peak of his career. From the makers of ‘Senna’ and ‘Amy’, Ronaldo takes audiences on an intimate and revealing journey of what it’s like to live as an iconic athlete in the eye of the storm.