A shot of the premiere of the Amazon Prime documentary, 'Kick Like Tayla', in May 2022. Picture: AFL Photos

"IF I see one bloke walk out of here, getting a pat on the back from people out there for a good effort, I'll spew up."

Terry Wallace's frustrated words to his Western Bulldogs players after a narrow loss to Collingwood has gone down in football's annals, courtesy of the much-loved documentary Year of the Dogs.

The highly regarded film followed the highs and lows of the Dogs' 1996 campaign under Wallace, and showcases the ability of filmmakers to help fans gain a deeper insight into the game they love.

Terry Wallace speaks to his Bulldogs players in 1997. Picture: AFL Photos

Now, the AFL has teamed up with the Melbourne International Film Festival and VicScreen to launch Footy Shorts, a project that encourages filmmakers to pitch their ideas for a short film that captures the love, connection and traditions in Australian football that help shape Australian life.

Four short films will be chosen to go into production, with the film teams receiving a $20,000 production budget, professional development from industry mentors, access to the AFL's archival footage and support in accessing the AFL clubs.

All four Footy Shorts films will have a gala world premiere screening at the 73rd Melbourne International Film Festival in August.

If you fancy yourself as the director or producer of the next Year of the Dogs – or The Final Draw, or The Chosen Few, or Kick Like Tayla – then this is your chance to get a footy film project onto the big screen.

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AFL executive general manager customer and commercial Bec Haagsma said Footy Shorts was a great way to progress the League's vision 'for everyone to love and connect with Australia's game'.

"Football is intricately entwined with the Australian way of life and has always formed an integral part of the community. Our game is full of wonderful characters, storylines and emotions that tie people together from all different backgrounds, from grassroots to the elite. I am excited to see how some of the best up and coming filmmakers bring this to life on the big screen," she said. 

Melbourne International Film Festival CEO Damien Hodgkinson said he was proud to help bring the Footy Shorts initiative to life.

"What a pairing bringing together two Melbourne obsessions – AFL and cinema," he said.

"MIFF is dedicated to the stories that need telling and this fantastic partnership with the AFL and VicScreen provides filmmakers with the resources and inspiration to create new short documentaries to premiere in MIFF 2025 this August."

VicScreen CEO Caroline Pitcher said: "This unique talent development opportunity will support emerging factual storytellers to upskill, gain practical experience, mentoring and exposure to key industry leaders."

Applications for Footy Shorts close at 11.59pm on Monday 24 March 2025.

To find out more and enter, visit https://miff.com.au/footy-shorts