When Sydney went forward on Sunday, their primary target was the most decorated and feted forward of the past 20 years.
The Swans kicked to Lance Franklin 10 times when they entered their forward-50 arc, which was more often than the next three players – Logan McDonald (3), Tom Papley (3) and Will Hayward (3) – combined.
The Swans had a Franklin focus, despite Buddy facing a formidable direct opponent in Steven May, one of the AFL’s best few key backs and also the one who had utterly dominated Franklin in the qualifying final.
Lance Franklin.Credit:Matt Roberts, Getty
Franklin managed to scrounge two goals, one a trademark snap that he conjured, but the investment in Buddy came up short.
A week earlier, when Franklin was suspended for the match against Hawthorn, Joel Amartey and Logan McDonald were the forward targets five and seven times respectively. McDonald’s yield was an impressive 5.1 (not all his goals coming from those entries), while Amartey – who has struggled for a game – booted 4.2. Isaac Heeney (2.0) had been the forward target seven times in that game, as the load was spread more equitably.
Cast your mind back to the 2022 finals series, and it’s clear that the Swans have a Franklin problem that needs redressing.
Buddy was thrashed by May in that first final, yet the Swans managed to overrun the Demons in the second half, as they directed play to others, including the oft-injured Sam Reid.
Franklin booted two telling majors against Collingwood in a close encounter, but he was matched to an undersized Brayden Maynard when he inflicted the damage. Once Craig McRae made the logical move of switching his gun defender Darcy Moore on to Buddy, his influenced waned. Moore became a potent force, too, as the Magpies surged from behind and fell short by just a point.
Franklin struggled in the grand final when opposed to Geelong wunderkind Sam De Koning, but in fairness, he received dismal delivery and hardly had an abundance of opportunities given the rout.
His finals series, thus, consisted of two goals in three matches and none when opposed to May, Moore and De Koning.
SWANS’ INSIDE-50 TARGETS, ROUND THREE
10 Lance Franklin
3 Logan McDonald
3 Tom Papley
3 Will Hayward
2 Justin McInerney
2 Joel Amartey
1 Isaac Heeney
Source: Champion Data
Sydney’s fundamental problem with Franklin at age 36 is that while he is still capable of contributing and dining out against moderate or weak opposition, his record lately against high-calibre opponents and teams (Jacob Weitering is another gun who eclipsed him last year) suggests that he should no longer be a focal forward.
Further, as with many champions of the past, the reputation, aura and presence of the superstar, even in his decline, means that he draws the ball more often than he should.
If the Swans wish to contend for the premiership, as they can, then they have to relegate Franklin to a less prominent place in their attack. The teams that shape as potential contenders – Melbourne, Collingwood, Carlton and the Brisbane Lions – each have star key backs that Buddy will find difficult.
While it’s true that Franklin can occupy the opposition’s best defender, that also represents a potential issue given his reduced abilities.
The upshot is that Franklin should be more role player than a premier target. Jack Riewoldt, who also has struggled, poses less of an issue for Richmond because their main man is Tom Lynch and Riewoldt plays a subordinate role.
SCORING SUCCESS
How often the Swans have scored in 2023 when targeting each player inside 50
75% Logan McDonald
66.7% Hayden McLean
62.5% Tom Papley
57.1% Joel Amartey
43.8% Lance Franklin
40% Will Hayward
30% Isaac Heeney
Source: Champion Data
Dermott Brereton, observing Franklin’s diminished output from his vantage as a Fox Footy commentator and ex-Hawthorn great, called this phenomenon of kicking to the faded champion “Leigh Matthews Syndrome” – noting that this had happened in Matthews’ last season, 1985. While Matthews remained wily and dangerous in ’85, it emerged the following year that his sheer presence – and position in the goal square – had briefly obstructed the progress of a young forward called Jason Dunstall.
This is not to suggest that McDonald, who is slated to be the premier forward, or Amartey, belong in the same paragraph as Dunstall and Franklin, or that the Swans trust them to take the heat just yet.
Matthew Lloyd observed earlier this week (via the AFL website) that if he was McDonald or Amartey’s agent, and they were dropped again, he would be on the phone to rival clubs pronto. Lloyd noted McDonald had played his best footy when Buddy was absent.
“I’m surprised that no one tried to grab one of those two,” said Brereton of McDonald and Amartey. McDonald, contracted until the end of next year, is forever on the radar of the Perth clubs.
Brereton said that Franklin’s greatness relied on remarkable speed, agility and an ability to mark one-out with clever body use, even if he juggled the footy. But Brereton added Franklin’s agility and speed have “slid a bit” and that this rendered him vulnerable to opponents such as May, Weitering and to a lesser degree Moore.
That he’s still a key forward at 36 is another measure of Franklin’s phenomenal career. He has drawn fans to the footy like few others. But his days of drawing so much ball should cease.
