And one fan of AFL player side-businesses has started compiling the ultimate list of footballer's off-field professions.

James Podsiadly has created a 10-week program for corporations to improve their employee's health and well being called Reactivate Group. Kane Cornes and Rory Sloane have started a digital lifestyle magazine called Cornes and Sloane, which promotes Adelaide tourism, wine suppliers, and therapy toy-dogs.

Demons Max Gawn and Matt Jones spend their spare time building furniture, and Nathan Jones is involved in his wife Jerri Jones fashion label, which sells $450 leather skirts.

Former Melbourne player Joel MacDonald has turned into a tech disruptor, James Magner is designing fixie bicycles, and Jeff White has become a social media consultant and inventor.

Richmond's Brandon Ellis is in the watch business. And Fremantle's Matt de Boer and Tendai Mzungu​ have created a smartphone game called Footy Prodigy, although it's been criticised for having too many in-app purchases.

Welcome to the world of AFL player businesses. And it's definitely no longer just pubs and restaurants.

While many fans and commentators get obsessed by the injuries and private lives of AFL players, one man is more interested in what kind of businesses they start. Whether it's backyard pool installations, turf, apps, pubs, hot potatoes, home loans, or fashion, Andrew McDougall last year started compiling a list called Footy Businesses of every AFL-player related business he could find. He does not make any money out of this project. 

"It's hard to explain. I have always been interested in entrepreneurs and to a certain degree footballers who do that while they have a full time career in the AFL. It shows me they have a next-level commitment,"  Mr McDougall told Fairfax Media.

"I thought, if I was interested there might be other people too."

So far his list provides an interesting insight into what footballers want to achieve off the field. It's a window into their dreams and personalities. However, as this is only a hobby Adelaide-based Mr McDougall cannot verify whether a footballer is just providing their name, or if they have actually invested their own money. Nor were there any records of how long these businesses last.  

General manager of player development at the AFL Players Association Brett Johnson says the average AFL career lasts about six years and that the Association has "an obligation to develop these young men on and off field", who often arrive straight out of high school.

"An AFL career provides rare opportunities for players to access stakeholders, corporate expertise, programs and resources not available in other industries," he said.

"By harnessing these opportunities and aligning them to a player's passions, skills, goals and passions, we have the making of a really meaningful growth and development strategy for each individual player."

Jeff White says all professional sports men and women find focusing on a business venture or casual job provides a much-needed escape from sport. It was also important to pick up skills that could be used in the real world.

"It's important for players to look at life after footy, because you don't know when it could end," he said.

He told Fairfax Media he had invested his own money into Post High - retractable plastic goal posts that can be set up anywhere- after a Kickstarter campaign failed to raise enough money to produce his latest invention.

Demon Matt Jones has a small furniture business called Max Jones Co, along with teammates Max Gawn and Max King. They were inspired to make furniture by the tables they saw at cafes, then their club asked them to make one for the players lounge.

"Max King had a little experience with carpentry before getting drafted. I'm a qualified electrician so have experience of tools etcetera and Gawny's family is involved in carpentry," Mr Jones said.

"We normally work on our day off each week and regularly catch up during the week at the club about what's going on. We love having the business as it takes our mind off footy on the day off. We don't take it too seriously but it's good fun and we certainly have a laugh during it all."