From the paddock to the pub: Sporting stars kick goals in hospitality

While he balanced rugby training and university, he pulled kegs and worked the floor of his parents’ venues. This included the Hotel Concord in Sydney’s inner west, which his mother proudly continues to operate after 37 years.

Then, after years away from hospitality while playing for the ACT Brumbies, Young decided to turn some of his sporting career earnings towards investing in the industry. In 2003 – the year he represented Australia against England in the Rugby World Cup Final – he bought a half share in the Wiseman’s Ferry Inn Hotel with his father.

Nearly two decades later, he sold the hotel to property tycoon Sam Arnaout for about $10 million.

It’s one of many successful trades Young has made at the helm of Young Hotels, including his purchase of Bar Broadway in Chippendale for $37 million and The Gem Hotel in NSW’s Riverina region for $50 million in August – one of this year’s biggest pub transactions.

“It’s got a great synergy, sports people and hotels. It’s hospitality – people like mingling with sports people,” Young tells AFR Weekend. “It’s a natural progression for an athlete to go into that, especially from my era.”

Melbourne-based hospitality entrepreneur Craig Shearer, whose Kickon Group has been in the industry for almost 20 years, says the days are long gone when ex-AFL players bought a pub, turned it into their second home and then things rarely ended well.

A plethora of athletes recently, especially rugby and AFL players, have gone down the hospitality path during or after their careers, purchasing their own venues or investing as part of a larger consortium.

Penrith Panthers co-captain Nathan Cleary is a part owner in venues Drink West Brewery and Freddy’s in Sydney, while ex-Melbourne Football Club midfielder Angus Brayshaw is involved in Lenny’s Wine Bar in Melbourne.

Western Bulldogs midfielder Tom Liberatore co-owns The Ascot Vale Hotel and The Mona Castle Hotel in Melbourne. When the AFL star played his 250th game in July, he shouted 250 Pirate Life beers at both venues.

At a time when the pub trade is on a hot streak – with the wider industry clocking more than $1.7 billion in transactions so far this year – Shearer is finding willing partners as his Kickon Group diversifies its investor base.

Ex-Carlton Football Club player Andrew Walker and three-time AFL premiership captain Luke Hodge came into the Kickon fold with the launch of its 13th venue – the Doutta Galla Hotel in Kensington, in Melbourne’s inner north-west – at the end of October.

“They’re much more astute investors and looking for places where they can invest some capital that will provide a return for them and their family, and that’s certainly the case with Andrew Walker and Luke Hodge,” Shearer says.

“As it always does, it came over a few beers when [Walker] said, ‘yes, I’d love to get involved in a pub with you one day’.”

One thing led to another, and Walker – who is also chief executive of labour hire and traffic management company A2B Personnel – became an investor in what’s known among the locals as “The Doot” along with beer company Travla co-founder Travis Fimmel, Hodge and another ex-Carlton player, Luke Livingston.

“It suits them because it’s a passive investment and our company obviously provides the heavy lifting around all the acquisition, the development and the operations of the business,” Shearer says.

“But we certainly lean on their contacts and their profile for us to be able to promote the venue and attract functions and events into the business, which is a real win-win for us.”

It’s a similar situation with Max Gawn, captain of the Melbourne Football Club and his business partners Craig Tait and Rich Donovan.

Gawn’s love for hospitality came from his mother, who owned cafés Olive at Loch in Victoria’s Gippsland region and the Cuppa Cottage in Melbourne’s bayside area, where he learnt to make coffees and work the floor – until he was fired.

“When you’re growing up, all you want to do is what your parents do and I sort of idealised mum, so I always wanted to do hospitality of some sort,” he tells AFR Weekend. “I got fired one day because she rostered me on a Sunday after one of my friend’s 18ths and I didn’t turn up.”

The 2021 AFL premiership captain’s redemption came when he struck up a conversation with Tate and Donovan about a possible business venture over a few wines. The pair formerly owned the café Saint James in Malvern, in Melbourne’s south-east.

“Wine was certainly the common interest, so we went down that path,” Gawn says.

In 2019, they established East End Wine Bar, located in a 1930s former auction house in Hawthorn East, where the pizzas are named after the people who have been involved in the bar at some stage.

After finding success, even through COVID-19, they opened another venue in 2022 – a moody wine bar and bistro called Motor where the menu is centred around wood-fired cooking.

“We’re all equal business partners. We all have our roles, although mine is very, very little in terms of on the floor,” Gawn says. “Part of my role is to make sure I show my face and have a glass of red at the counter every now and then.”

But over the six years they’ve been in business, Gawn has done more than enjoy a glass of Burgundy and steak in one of Motor’s booths. He’s tried to upskill himself as much as possible, from understanding staff management to stocktaking. He’s even slung pints behind the bar at East End.

“It just gives you a good little balance away from football and, not saying I’m not a real person, but being a real person in society and doing your bit,” Gawn says. “You’re learning business skills, people skills, life skills, while you’re on the clock as a footballer.

“I know if I spoke to young players, I would promote making sure you get out there in the real world and get out there and try and start your own business and suss out how life works.”