Kicking goals: the popular hangouts owned by AFL stars – realestate.com.au

Entering the world of hospitality has become an increasingly popular venture among the AFL players’ fraternity, where a strong public profile can go hand in hand with adding value to a venue.

JLL senior vice-president Will Connolly told realcommercial.com.au that AFL players owning cafes with business partners can be a powerful marketing tool.

“The hospitality sector is a natural fit for their skills, given the team environment they are used to, as they build sustainable careers that can support them long after they hang up their boots,” Mr Connolly said.

“It’s about creating a legacy and purpose beyond the playing field, where their football profile becomes the basis for real business success and continued contribution to the community.”

Mr Connolly – who succeeded the sale of the historic Spotswood Hotel last year to a hospitality group of former and current Western Bulldogs players – who said pubs were typically bought through a ‘syndicate environment’.

“An active player focusing on his current playing career will pursue a location with existing hospitality professionals, one of whom can fully concentrate on the business, with an AFL player taking on more of an advisory role until he is ready to fully concentrate on his post-playing career,” he said.

Here’s a glimpse of some of the hospitality businesses owned by AFL players:

Spotswood Hotel, Spotswood

In late 2025, a hospitality group made up of former and current Western Bulldogs when investors purchased the historic Spotswood Hotel.

The Mona Castle Group led by ex-Bulldog Lukas Webb, former Footscray VFL player Bradley Olsson and their mate Nicholas Schultze bought the site at 62 Hudsons Rd, Spotswood.

The Spotswood Hotel was acquired by the Mona Castle Group in 2025. Photo: supplied

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Western Bulldogs vice-captain Tom Liberatore and former full-forward Jack Redpath were among the group’s backers.

Mr Connolly said the sale price of the hotel was not made public and the off-market deal was completed after months of negotiations.

According to the Victorian Heritage Council, the Spotswood Hotel was built in 1888 and was previously known as the Spottiswoode Hotel and is significant for its association with the Spottiswoode family due to the suburb’s namesake.

Mr Connolly said the hotel, which features a beer garden, bistro and restaurant space, has undergone significant refurbishment on the ground floor.

The group also owns the Ascot Vale Hotel and the Mona Castle Hotel in Seddon.

Whiplash Café, Hawthorn

Out of a love of coffee, two friends, former Collingwood defender Jordan Roughead and hospitality heavyweight Jordan Faulkner, teamed up to open Whiplash Café in Hawthorn in late 2021.

The old-fashioned style milk bar – which had stood still for years – was transformed into a takeaway, ‘pandemic-practical café’.

Whiplash Cafe in Hawthorn, owned by Jordan Roughead and business partner Jordan Faulkner. Image: supplied

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Whiplash Café, located at 226 Auburn Road, Hawthorn, is also owned by AFL players Callum Brown, Nathan Murphy and Brody Mihocek, alongside chef Will Steele.

Four and a half years since Whiplash Café opened, Mr Steele said they would like to think the business was something of an institution in the region.

“We can operate pretty much solely on our regular customers and the people coming to the area is definitely an added bonus,” he said.

He said many Collingwood players frequent the cafe, especially as the club’s osteopath is just across the street.

Meanwhile, the team expanded their catering offering last month with the opening of a restaurant called Aftermath in Prahran.

Doutta Gala Hotel, Kensington

Former AFL players Luke Hodge, known for playing for the Brisbane Lions and Hawthorn Football Club, and Andrew Walker, of the Carlton Football Club, were among the investors involved in the new look of the Doutta Gala Hotel in Kensington, which underwent major renovations giving it a new lease of life.

Located at 339 Racecourse Road, Kensington, the historic hotel first opened its doors in 1889, and after almost a year of work it reopened to the public, retaining its famous red doors and offering guests a public bar, restaurant, outdoor dining and event spaces.

East End Wine Bar, Hawthorn East

Melbourne Football Club captain Max Gawn is co-owner of East End Wine Bar in Hawthorn East, which opened in 2019 in the century-old former Young’s Auction House.

Max Gawn and East End Wine Bar ownership group (left to right) Phil Gjisbergs, Craig Tate and Richard Donovan. Photo: News Corp

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The wine bar serves pizzas and snacks designed for sharing, and a range of ‘carefully selected’ wines from young and emerging winemakers.