In November last year, Tomas Bugg was picked up by AFL club Carlton after being let go by the Melbourne Demons. But not even three months later and before playing a game for his new team, Bugg has retired from the sport entirely.
Why? To pursue his Instagram Influencing dreams, of course.
“Thank you football,” the athlete began his announcement on social media. “I’ve met the most amazing people and I have made lifelong friends. I have experienced the ups and downs of professional sport, this had allowed me to grow as a person and for that I am so grateful.”
Bugg, 25, continued to explain that the company he co-founded, Zooz Group, an influencer agency, is behind his decision to retire from the professional sport.
“Always follow your dreams and back yourself and it’s time to fully invest into my business @zoozgroup,” Bugg, who has over 60 thousand followers, explained.
“In the space of 7 months we have gone from a start up to a multimillion dollar firm. There is a longer journey ahead for the business to reach its full potential globally I am so passionate about growing this business and helping our amazing group to achieve everything they’ve ever dreamed of.”
Bugg is also the boyfriend of social media influencer Shani Grimmond, who has an extraordinary 1.4 million followers. Grimmond is indeed managed by the Zooz Group as of August 2018, four months before the couple announced they are dating.
Other notable influencers managed by the company include Michael Finch, Brittney Saunders, Lily Brown and Love Island runner-up Erin Barnett.
Bugg’s AFL career began in 2012 when he was playing for Greater Western Sydney, before moving on to Melbourne FC in 2016. According to The Age, in 2017 Bugg was suspended for six matches after striking Sydney’s Callum Mill.
Top Comments
He’s leaving a job that is hard on his body and has a limited life span to build a business- seems like a very sensible choice not exactly being a ‘shiftless millenial’. And to everyone who thinks ‘instagram influencer’ Isn’t a job- it’s as much of a job as advertising and marketing ever have been, even if it’s a medium that scares you. You try coming up with high quality marketing images that sell a distinct story and aesthetic 7-10 times a week and let me know how you go.
It's not a medium that scares me - it's a medium for which I have no time or respect. Kind of akin to reality TV - it's pure paint-by-numbers junk starring cookie-cutter, forgettable nobodies. Influencing as a "job" is like building a house on sand.
This sounds like something from the Betoota Advocate.