Why did Franklin never get close to kicking 100+ again?

[Always Ballin]

What made 2008 such an outlier season? Was it the delivery that year? Where he played on the field? How he moved athletically? I seem to remember he had some injury concerns that affected his mobility in the immediate following seasons. And he began playing higher up the ground, which seems to track with his increase in disposals per game.

Was 2008 his peak? I watched highlights from that season and it really looked like it was. He never moved better than in 2008. He was bigger, stronger, more powerful than in 2005-2007 but still had the same unparalleled speed and agility.

 

[Freomaniac]

he is still the only person to kick 100 goals in that 2008 season isnt he?

Gutted Brendan Fevola didnt kick 100 goals in 2008 as well. Stuck on 99.

 

[HeHateMe]

he is still the only person to kick 100 goals in a season isnt he?

Gutted Brendan Fevola didnt kick 100 goals in 2008 as well. Stuck on 99.

Yeah me too, I remember being at that game and after buddy kicked his 100th and we all got off the ground you sorta had free reign of the stadium, we ended up behind Carltons goals in the last. Booing fev ofc. but was prepared to get back out there after his 100th and celebrate.

 

[RUNVS]

I suspect that defensive structures continued to get better post 2008. I mean the whole 2004 to lets say 2013 period was a revolution in defensive structures, where each year they got more and more sophisticated. In 2008 it was a lot better than it was a few years earlier, but the AFL quickly moved on from that point.

These are just guesses from my part though. Ideally a key forward, maybe even Buddy himself would be the best person to answer. I would like to say I am Buddy, but unfortunately I am 20cm shorter and probably $16 million less rich.

 

[The King!]

Who knows but didn't realise he gave away 74 frees that season (only got 27) not to mention kicking 88 behinds, maybe he should have got 200.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Clarkson as coach would’ve basically ensured it didn’t happen I reckon. Coaches hate being predictable and 100 goals for one player is very predictable, even though they did win the flag.

So they build different forward structures to ensure better scores.

They kick 2434 points in 2008. A few years adjustment and by 2012 they actually scored more (2679, 2523, 2458, 2452 points over the next four years for 4 GFs and 3 flags).

If they didn’t develop other forwards and different avenues to goal then they’d have been worked out and probably not successful 2012 - 2015.

 

[hawkman]

He lost his ability to take contested marks with us after 08 due to thumb issues. That and our game plan became less Buddy focused.

He also missed at least 3 games every season for us between 2010-2013, 2011 and 2012 he could have at least got to 90+ if he didn't miss 3 and 6 games in those years

 

[boncer34]

he is still the only person to kick 100 goals in a season isnt he?

Gutted Brendan Fevola didnt kick 100 goals in 2008 as well. Stuck on 99.

Say what?

 

[Freomaniac]

Say what?

In 2008

 

[boncer34]

In 2008

Yes he's the only person to do it in the 2008 season.

 

[MadMaxx]

His 100 in 08 Surprised. No one saw the young prodigy coming, so didnt plan around it.

From that point on, oppo teams preparation started to be about controlling Buddy.

By 10/11 it was becoming a problem, and Clarkson was moving him up the ground a lot more to have a more positive effect.

In a strange quirk, we became a better team after he left (Though I still consider him the best player in the league at the time), because the predictability went too. Hawks of 14-15 had so many options that needed to be covered.
Rough, Gunston, Cyril, Poppy, Breust.

If Buddy had of stayed, they all get half those looks, merely because of his presence.

I personally dont think the three-peat happened if Buddy Stayed with the Hawks.

 

[Catsace]

Clarkson as coach would’ve basically ensured it didn’t happen I reckon. Coaches hate being predictable and 100 goals for one player is very predictable, even though they did win the flag.

So they build different forward structures to ensure better scores.

They kick 2434 points in 2008. A few years adjustment and by 2012 they actually scored more (2679, 2523, 2458, 2452 points over the next four years for 4 GFs and 3 flags).

If they didn’t develop other forwards and different avenues to goal then they’d have been worked out and probably not successful 2012 - 2015.

Paradoxically the Hawks scored freely in the 2008 GF with just four goals from their twin towers of Roughy and Franklin in that match, I reckon every Cat fan under the sun would have taken that with both hands before the game. Those two kicked 183 goals between them that year. But it was the last gasps of the Rifleman who kicked three and Dew who despite his 120 kilos dominated the 3rd quarter who really put the screws on Geelong in that stanza.

And the Hawks were a scoring force in their hat trick as well, with numerous options, the rise of Bruest and Gunstan instrumental there along with Rioli, Puopolo and others who would chip in. Losing Buddy didn't affect them at all in 2014/2015.

 

[Freomaniac]

His 100 in 08 Surprised. No one saw the young prodigy coming, so didnt plan around it.

From that point on, oppo teams preparation started to be about controlling Buddy.

By 10/11 it was becoming a problem, and Clarkson was moving him up the ground a lot more to have a more positive effect.

In a strange quirk, we became a better team after he left (Though I still consider him the best player in the league at the time), because the predictability went too. Hawks of 14-15 had so many options that needed to be covered.
Rough, Gunston, Cyril, Poppy, Breust.

If Buddy had of stayed, they all get half those looks, merely because of his presence.

I personally dont think the three-peat happened if Buddy Stayed with the Hawks.

So there was a butterfly effect when Buddy franklin left the hawks.

I always Knew hawks had match winning forwards outside of Franklin. As you Mentioned... Roughy, Gunston, Cyril Rioli, Puopulo and Breust. Add Daivd Hale too as he was a KPF/Ruckman.

 

[Mitchell Madness]

Fitness improved so he spent more time up the ground.
2008 he spent more time close to goal (although he kicked some amazing goals when he did go up the ground)

 

[T2B_]

he is still the only person to kick 100 goals in that 2008 season isnt he?

Gutted Brendan Fevola didnt kick 100 goals in 2008 as well. Stuck on 99.

I've never forgiven Clarko for uber flooding around Fev to stop that happening. It would surely be historic to have two players reach 100 goals in the same match (I haven't checked to see if it's happened before in older times).

 

[The 747]

Paradoxically the Hawks scored freely in the 2008 GF with just four goals from their twin towers of Roughy and Franklin in that match, I reckon every Cat fan under the sun would have taken that with both hands before the game. Those two kicked 183 goals between them that year. But it was the last gasps of the Rifleman who kicked three and Dew who despite his 120 kilos dominated the 3rd quarter who really put the screws on Geelong in that stanza.

And the Hawks were a scoring force in their hat trick as well, with numerous options, the rise of Bruest and Gunstan instrumental there along with Rioli, Puopolo and others who would chip in. Losing Buddy didn't affect them at all in 2014/2015.

Clarko saw which way the wind was blowing and put in place structures so they weren't reliant on the one player. As Cats fans know even if you rely too much on one player that player can be shut down in a given game. See Ablett finals post 1992.

Franklin in 2008 flag played an underrated role, he kept Scarlett (who was a serious counterattacking threat back then) mostly out of the play and up on the wings/flanks where he couldn't influence the play.

 

[PP34]

Footy changed pretty quickly and teams already by that point had started working out that with all the changes to defensive structures that spreading the load on the scoreboard was the way to go going forward.

The Hawks in particular made an effort to add talent to the forward line and ensure they weren’t just totally reliant on Buddy.

 

[HavUEvaSeenTheRain]

Clarko saw which way the wind was blowing and put in place structures so they weren't reliant on the one player. As Cats fans know even if you rely too much on one player that player can be shut down in a given game. See Ablett finals post 1992.

Franklin in 2008 flag played an underrated role, he kept Scarlett (who was a serious counterattacking threat back then) mostly out of the play and up on the wings/flanks where he couldn't influence the play.

Yep, often talked about by the Hawks players. They actually sacrificed his game knowing the attention he would attract from Geelong opening the ground up for the Hawks.

 

[Mitchell Madness]

I've never forgiven Clarko for uber flooding around Fev to stop that happening. It would surely be historic to have two players reach 100 goals in the same match (I haven't checked to see if it's happened before in older times).

This story has grown so much over the years.

Roughead sent himself down back to be an extra. It lasted for about 2 minutes before he was dragged

The "uber flood" was the midfield getting back (or following the ball), the hawks had 5 forward of centre (far more than we would see back then for an "uber flood" and way way more than we see now.

 

[Always Ballin]

Buddy averaged 2.95 marks inside 50 per game for his career. He averaged 5.0 per game in 2008. Therefore his goals per mark inside 50 was 0.904 in '08.

In 2011, he averaged 3.73 goals per game and 4.09 marks inside 50 per game - 0.912. He kicked 82 goals in 22 games; give him 5 marks inside 50 per game and he kicks an extra 20 goals, putting him on 102 goals in 22 games.

 

[AlwaysHawks15]

Clarko saw which way the wind was blowing and put in place structures so they weren't reliant on the one player. As Cats fans know even if you rely too much on one player that player can be shut down in a given game. See Ablett finals post 1992.

Franklin in 2008 flag played an underrated role, he kept Scarlett (who was a serious counterattacking threat back then) mostly out of the play and up on the wings/flanks where he couldn't influence the play.

I believe the Cats were happy for Scarlett to sacrifice his offensive game in order for him to completely quell Buddy's influence. Possibly believing they had enough star power to get it done without Scarlett's impact. He received a tick for that but Buddy still had some crucial plays during the match and kicked 2 HUGE goals in the context of the match. People say he had a quiet match but he really didn't.

 

[rapidfire7]

I've often thought of this too. As great a player as he was, he never quite recaptured his scintillating 2008 form, which had him on track of being one of the very greatest to have played.

I remember thinking in 2009 that he wasn't half the player from the year before. My guess is that a multitude of factors were at play, which may have inclided things like his work ethic, fitness, game styles, improved oppositon defences etc.

 

[ThePhantom777]

This story has grown so much over the years.

Roughead sent himself down back to be an extra. It lasted for about 2 minutes before he was dragged

The "uber flood" was the midfield getting back (or following the ball), the hawks had 5 forward of centre (far more than we would see back then for an "uber flood" and way way more than we see now.

Booooooooo

 

[Mitchell Madness]

Booooooooo

Oh, and fev also had 2 shots at goal when on 99

 

[ThePhantom777]

Oh, and fev also had 2 shots at goal when on 99

Fair. Would have been cool to have 2 players kick 100 in a season in the same game.

Buddy was unbelievable that year.