There’s always a bit of excitement around Media Night, but this year felt different from the moment it started.
Across two nights, the Southern Football Netball League introduced a refreshed format focused on bringing more energy, more personality and more engaging content into the season ahead. While the final photos and videos will look polished when they hit socials, behind the scenes it’s fast-paced, loud and constantly moving.
This year moved away from the traditional face-to-camera interviews and into a more interactive setup, designed to capture genuine reactions rather than rehearsed answers. Players rotated through a series of challenges, each one built to create quick, engaging moments.
And that’s where things came to life.
From knocking down table tennis cups and hitting targets in ping pong football, to reflex challenges, bottle flip races and drawing club logos under pressure, there was always something happening. Add in the “ultimate player” segment where teammates build the perfect player from within their club and the competitive side quickly took over.
You could hear it across the room. Players calling each other out, celebrating wins and laughing off the misses. It created moments that felt natural, unscripted and exactly what local footy content should be.
Behind the scenes, it’s organised chaos. Players move quickly between stations, photographers reset between groups, and organisers keep everything running to schedule. Supporting it all was the league’s media partner, GameFace, with photographers and videographers on hand capturing every moment and helping bring the night to life on camera. Once a group finishes, they’re free to go keeping the night efficient and high-energy.
While the format has evolved, the foundation remains. Every player still walks away with professional headshots and consistent league branding, forming the base for the league’s content across the season. These assets drive everything from match previews to social content and league storytelling.
What stood out most was how quickly players bought into it. The shorter format meant less overthinking and more genuine moments replacing awkward interviews with competition, banter and personality.
And that was the goal.
More content. More engagement. More personality.
Because while Media Night only runs across a couple of evenings, the impact lasts all season. Everything captured here feeds into the stories, highlights and moments you’ll see across the league in the months ahead.
Peep the behind the scenes photos below
