A Milestone for a Champion
Lance Franklin Plays His 350th Game
P. P. Zhang
A Milestone for a Champion
LAST THURSDAY, AFL SUPERSTAR, LANCE “BUDDY” FRANKLIN, PLAYED HIS 350TH GAME AGAINST ST KILDA FOOTBALL CLUB, JOINING AN ELITE CLUB OF PLAYERS WHO HAVE REACHED THE MILESTONE. The 36-year-old is often regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time and the greatest forward of his generation, kicking 1,059 goals in his career across 350 games and two clubs. Franklin was drafted to Hawthorn Football Club in 2005, as their 2nd pick and 5th overall, before being offered a nine-year $10 million deal in 2014 by the Sydney Swans. The milestone is a huge achievement for any player, but considering Franklin’s past injuries and setbacks, is all the more significant. In history altogether, only 22 players in the VFL/AFL (Victorian Football League/Australian Football League) have played 350 games.
The match in the primetime slot on Thursday Night at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) was highly anticipated, as Sydney was eager to cause an upset against the high-performing Saints. Not only was it special due to Buddy’s milestone, but also because it was the Swans’ Annual Pride Game, with specially designed jerseys to captivate the experience.
The game started relatively uneventfully, with St Kilda youngster Mattaes Phillipou recording the only goal in the entire first quarter, with Sydney kept completely scoreless. The second quarter saw a major improvement, with five straight goals going to the Swans to shift the momentum in Sydney’s favour. This included two goals from Buddy, causing the crowd to become increasingly frenzied as he increased his overall goal tally. The Saints managed to claw their way back, resulting in the Swans holding a minor lead of nine points at the half-time break. The second-half was a seesawing affair, with Sydney’s lead reduced to just a kick at the final break. Crucial Swans defender Nick Blakey suffered a head injury in the third quarter, and although he passed his concussion test, was kept off for the rest of the game due to a toe injury. Unfortunately, the Saints dominated the last quarter to snatch a 14-point victory over the Swans and ruin the “Buddy party”.
The man of the evening was kept relatively quiet for the rest of the night, ending his 350th game with just two goals from the first half and seven disposals in total. The Saints continue their surprisingly strong form this year, with this performance placing them 5th on the ladder and equal 3rd in points. On the other hand, the Swans’ premiership curse seems to be getting the better of them. Following their significant defeat by Geelong in the Grand Final last year, the Swans have lost seven games this season, and won just five. This places them 13th on the ladder, their worst performance in recent years, making the prospect of finals unlikely with less than half the season left to play.
For Lance Franklin, kicking two goals during the night saw him achieve yet another milestone. Early last year, he reached the 1,000-goal mark in Sydney’s win over Geelong in Round Two, becoming just the 6th player to do so. The famous image of fans flooding the SCG is undoubtedly etched as one of the greatest moments in sporting history. His two goals against St Kilda moved him up to 4th spot on the all-time goalkickers list at 1,059 goals, behind Tony Lockett (1,360), Gordon Coventry (1,299) and Jason Dunstall (1,254). Compared to current players, Franklin is completely clear, with the next highest being Richmond star Jack Riewoldt, who sits 300 goals behind him. In his career, Franklin has been his club’s leading goalkicker on 13 occasions, been selected for the All-Australian team eight times, won the Coleman medal four times, given to the player who kicks the most goals in a season, and won the Goal of the Year Award twice. Buddy also remains the only Indigenous player to surpass the 750-goal mark. The only apparent challenge left is for Franklin to win the Premiership with the Swans, having done so twice with the Hawks in 2008 and 2013.
While this season is likely to be Buddy’s swansong, he hasn’t completely ruled out playing in 2024 at the ripe old age of 37. Whether he does or doesn’t is irrelevant to the legacy he leaves behind, not only as a player on the field, but also a supporter of Indigenous rights and men’s mental health, having struggled with depression in the past. Because when he does retire, Buddy Franklin will undoubtedly and deservedly join the Swans Hall of Fame, among other Bloods legends like Bob Skilton and Adam Goodes.