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Buddy’s next goal? As we farewell Franklin, questions abound
By Andrew Wu
There is hardly a job in football Lance Franklin could not walk into in retirement. The question is: would he want to?
When Franklin completes his lap of honour at the SCG on Sunday, the fans he thrilled for the last 18 years are more likely to see him next on a red carpet than the green grass of a football field.
Lance “Buddy” Franklin will be remembered as one of the all-time great forwards.Credit: Phil Hillyard
Being arguably the greatest player since the turn of the century holds tremendous cachet. His equivalent of the last century, Leigh Matthews, remains a commanding figure in the game, 38 years after he bowed out as a player.
Few, though, expect Franklin to tread the “Lethal” path into coaching, the media and football administration, but it will not stop clubs and networks from sounding him out once he gets his head around the next phase of his life.
First, there is the not insignificant occasion of his farewell. Unfortunately for Franklin, there will be no fairytale finish in the form of the premiership he so craved in the red and the white, or even the famous send-off favourite sons Jarrad McVeigh and Kieren Jack (and Nick Smith and Heath Grundy) enjoyed in 2019.
Even if the Swans make it to an unlikely grand final berth, there will not be an 11th hour return to the field. Franklin has not trained since hurting his calf against Essendon four weeks ago. The same injury cost him 10 to 12 weeks in the pre-season.
We say goodbye to Lance
Sydney, and football fans more broadly, will get to farewell one of the modern greats, Lance Franklin, as he returns to the SCG for a lap of honour against Melbourne.
Lance Franklin of the Sydney Swans.Credit: Getty
Franklin called time on his decorated career because of a calf injury during Sydney’s win over Essendon in round 20.
The champion forward, who played 354 games and booted 1066 goals, eschewed the opportunity to have a farewell press conference.
But Swans chief executive Tom Harley confirmed on Friday that Franklin has agreed to a lap of honour at half-time during Sunday week’s match against the Demons.
“Lance will go down as one of our club’s greatest players, and we think member thank you round is the perfect opportunity for him to thank our members and fans as we pay tribute to him,” Harley said.
“For almost 20 years we’ve been able to witness something special whenever Lance took to the field, and we expect this occasion will be another one of those special moments.”
As reported by this masthead, Sydney chairman Andrew Pridham last week said the club wanted to give Franklin – one of the greatest and most electrifying players in the game’s modern history – a tribute.
Lance Franklin is a private person with an enormous profile.Credit: Phil Hillyard
Your view: Who wins Sydney or Melbourne?
Welcome
Hello and welcome to the final live blog of the AFL men’s 2023 home and away season.
It’s going to be an exciting day, footy fans, where final ladder standings will be known be the end of it.
Will GWS be able to sneak into the top eight with a win over Carlton and knock the Western Bulldogs down to ninth place?
Currently, the Giants and the Dogs sit equal on points on the ladder but the Bulldogs a rung higher on percentage. That could change come nightfall.
It’s a tough task for our Western Sydney team, however, as the Blues have won the last nine games in a row and seem to be on a mighty roll. The Giants with some momentum in their back pocket too though, after that 126-point demolition against Essendon last week (remember that?).
But before we get to that, we’ve got Sydney hosting Melbourne at the SCG.
The Demons are already locked in for top four, the Swans in top eight, so the result doesn’t change too much, except who they’ll play in September.
A big day ahead! Get the snacks ready.
Let’s do this.
Clayton OliverCredit: Getty
