Past #23 Buddy Franklin - Thanks Buddy

[Kennedy Parker]

Lance Franklin
Lance Franklin is a giant of the game. The star Sydney Swans forward has played 300 AFL games, won two premierships with Hawthorn, is the seventh-greatest goal-kicker in VFL/AFL history, is one of just five men with eight All Australian blazers and is the most recent player to have kicked 100 goals in a season. The Western Australian is also one of just two players in the game’s history, along with former Swan and Saint Tony Lockett

Tony Lockett

Age

58

Ht

191cm

Wt

108kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.2

3star

K

8.4

3star

HB

1.8

2star

M

6.3

5star

T

0.5

3star

G

4.8

5star

No current season stats available

D

8.2

2star

K

5.6

3star

HB

2.6

3star

M

4.0

4star

T

0.0

1star

G

1.4

5star

, to have booted 300 goals for two clubs. Franklin was added to a leadership group for the first time in his career ahead of season 2020, joining co-captains Josh Kennedy, Luke Parker

26

Luke Parker

Age

31

Ht

183cm

Wt

88kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

24.2

5star

K

12.6

5star

HB

11.6

5star

M

3.8

4star

T

5.6

5star

CL

5.8

5star

D

22.1

5star

K

12.3

5star

HB

9.9

5star

M

3.9

4star

T

5.0

5star

CL

5.5

5star

D

21.2

5star

K

11.4

4star

HB

9.8

5star

M

2.0

3star

T

8.0

5star

CL

5.2

5star

and Dane Rampe

24

Dane Rampe

Age

33

Ht

187cm

Wt

89kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

17.0

4star

K

10.6

4star

HB

6.4

4star

M

4.9

5star

T

2.5

4star

MG

358.8

5star

D

14.1

3star

K

9.0

4star

HB

5.1

3star

M

3.4

3star

T

1.5

2star

MG

284.5

4star

D

10.6

3star

K

7.2

3star

HB

3.4

3star

M

2.4

3star

T

1.4

4star

, as well as Callum Mills

14

Callum Mills

Age

27

Ht

188cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.2

5star

K

10.8

4star

HB

7.4

5star

M

5.3

5star

T

2.6

4star

CL

0.6

3star

D

18.4

4star

K

11.5

4star

HB

6.9

4star

M

5.4

5star

T

3.4

4star

CL

1.4

4star

D

17.0

5star

K

9.4

4star

HB

7.6

5star

M

4.4

4star

T

2.8

5star

CL

1.2

4star

. But the 33-year-old, who was named captain of the 2018 All Australian team, has long been considered an exceptional unofficial leader, so great is his impact on Will Hayward

9

Will Hayward

Age

25

Ht

186cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.6

3star

K

6.6

3star

HB

4.0

3star

M

3.4

3star

T

2.8

4star

G

1.1

4star

D

9.0

2star

K

4.3

2star

HB

4.7

3star

M

2.7

3star

T

2.7

4star

G

0.7

4star

D

9.4

3star

K

6.2

3star

HB

3.2

3star

M

2.6

3star

T

3.4

5star

G

1.4

5star

, Nick Blakey

22

Nick Blakey

Age

24

Ht

196cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

9.9

3star

K

7.0

3star

HB

2.9

3star

M

2.3

2star

T

2.4

4star

MG

189.1

3star

D

8.1

2star

K

6.3

3star

HB

1.9

1star

M

2.1

2star

T

2.6

4star

MG

189.1

3star

D

7.2

2star

K

5.2

2star

HB

2.0

2star

M

1.2

2star

T

1.2

3star

, Ben Ronke

25

Ben Ronke

Age

26

Ht

183cm

Wt

80kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.5

3star

K

7.5

3star

HB

4.0

3star

M

2.6

3star

T

3.2

5star

G

1.0

4star

D

9.7

2star

K

6.3

3star

HB

3.3

2star

M

2.0

2star

T

3.7

4star

G

0.0

1star

D

13.2

4star

K

9.8

4star

HB

3.4

3star

M

2.4

3star

T

5.2

5star

G

2.4

5star

and the rest of Sydney’s young forwards.

Lance Franklin
DOB: 30 January 1987
DEBUT: 2005
DRAFT: #5, 2004 National Draft
RECRUITED FROM: Dowerin (WA)/Perth (WAFL)/Hawthorn

Lance Franklin | AFL

Follow Lance Franklin's progress through AFL

www.sydneyswans.com.au

 

[Arwib]

On the plus side he should be back for finals

 

[The King!]

He’s cooked

 

[The King!]

3 years of hearing it’s a bad deal will be fun

 

[Jewelsbon]

I don’t want to drag the guy down, like many said maybe he even plays round 2


But membership revenue in 2013 versus say last year is only like a million more, buddy costs more than that

I dunno I don’t get becoming a member just because buddy joined

What about the ongoing memberships? People that came for Buddy and have now fallen in love with the game and the atmosphere and renew year after year.

You only got Franklin because of the length and amount of the contract. Hawthorn would have matched a shorter term contract (they put together a lucrative contract that would have made him the highest paid player at Hawthorn but not as long as the swans contract) and that would have meant the swans would have been required to trade. Given Franklin was the best player in the competition at the time (or near enough) and a KPF to boot, the trade would been a minimum of 2 top 10 picks and probably a player. Pretty close to what Dodoro was asking for Daniher last trade period, although Franklin was at another level.

That was a cost the swans did not want to pay, so hence the long-term contract. Franklin's contract was always going to cost at this stage, somethng the swans were willing to accept at the time; despite an AFL warning that his contract would count in the salary cap for the full 9 years.

Spot on

 

[The King!]

What about the ongoing memberships? People that came for Buddy and have now fallen in love with the game and the atmosphere and renew year after year.

What about them? I was just saying if we attribute that climb purely to buddy then the net cash impact is not really anything

I don’t deny he has been a show piece, just trotting that out like it cancels out paying him for 3 years to sit on his arse Is a long stretch imo

Basically 2015 he finished early , 2019 write off now 2020 and then presume 2 more seasons


Club made a brave call, I would have done it, doesn’t mean it’s a success is all I’m saying


Will these members now leave?

 

[scaryness]

3 years of hearing it’s a bad deal will be fun

Not worth the effort entertaining the idea to be honest. In my opinion anyway.

Carrying us during our premiership window made him worth it, hamstring injuries when the window is already closed doesn't negate the previous 6 years.

 

[The King!]

Not worth the effort entertaining the idea to be honest. In my opinion anyway.

Carrying us during our premiership window made him worth it, hamstring injuries when the window is already closed doesn't negate the previous 6 years.

It will be an interesting discussion

4.5 good years for 10 million ?

 

[Taylor]

It will be an interesting discussion

4.5 good years for 10 million ?

Sometimes you've got to pay the man to get them across the line.

 

[Arwib]

And not every club gets the steady stream of go-home wantaway types that high profile Victorian teams get

 

[DavyRed]

No running for 4 weeks

6-8 weeks at this stage

If he can’t even start running for 4 weeks I struggle to see how he’ll be able to return in 6-8. The Swans will have to be ultra careful in building him up to get near to match fitness and they’ve already said it seems to be worse than last year’s 9 week hammy.

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

How does his contract work under exceptional circumstances such as COVID slashing lists and club spending.

 

[Punts]

I still would do the deal personally again

He is a once in a generation player

He won games of own boot multiple times to put us in a position to play off for premierships

We let him down on occasions where we s**t the bed

 

[Millky95]

How does his contract work under exceptional circumstances such as COVID slashing lists and club spending.

We pay him in full regardless of the situation because we got him not GWS

Is probably what the AFL want to say

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

I still would do the deal personally again

He is a once in a generation player

He won games of own built multiple times to put us in a position to play off for premierships

We let him down

Absolutely do the deal again would do it again if a similar player wanted to come to us.

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

We pay him in full regardless of the situation because we got him not GWS

Is probably what the AFL want to say

No way that would be grossly unfair no one could of predicted a virus outbreak which changed the AFL landscape.

 

[Millky95]

No way that would be grossly unfair no one could of predicted a virus outbreak which changed the AFL landscape.

Making a joke about how we have to pay him even if he gets a career ending injury unlike every other player before him. I suspect the AFL will go "cut your cap payments by 30%" and we take 30% off of everyone's contract

 

[Punts]

No way we can have buddy , Daniher and Reid on the list , more so if 35

Imo they will get rid of Reid and hope Daniher comes good

 

[MarkP]

Good deal at the time.

Same now.

Contact sport, form, injury, life changes. Too hard to guess the future.

He carried the side for all intents whilst he has been here.

Gives his all and leaves nothing behind. Cannot fault him. True club man.

Would do the deal again in a heart beat.

Hopefully he comes back this year.

 

[MC Bad Genius]

I'm a massive fan of the move the Swans made to get him here (as mentioned previously), but the point that often gets missed is what if we hadn't done it? Then he would've been a Giant and helped them towards their first premiership. The fact that didn't happen is alone worth $10 million in my book. Grubs.

 

[DavyRed]

Making a joke about how we have to pay him even if he gets a career ending injury unlike every other player before him. I suspect the AFL will go "cut your cap payments by 30%" and we take 30% off of everyone's contract

Regardless of whether it was reasonable or not, the Swans knew exactly what they were getting into with Buddy. If I remember correctly each member of the Board was made to sign a document stating that they understood that Buddy’s salary would be counted in the salary cap for the entire length of his contract regardless of whether he retired early - even if the reason was a career ending injury.

Having said that, Covid-19 is a different issue and if the AFL imposed across the board salary reductions I see no way they could exclude Buddy from that.

 

[The King!]

Sometimes you've got to pay the man to get them across the line.

Absolutely

 

[caesar88]

I think it will be judged as a failure, and I have to say if it goes the way it looks like it will, then I'd have to agree.

 

[Millky95]

I think it will be judged as a failure

It was the second we didn't win in 2014.

EDIT: In the eyes of the wider AFL world

 

[caesar88]

It was the second we didn't win in 2014.

EDIT: In the eyes of the wider AFL world

Some wanted it to be a failure the second it happened and were already calling for it. I was not one of them but I was however apprehensive and wasn't a fan of the deal when it happened.

I didn't like that we were making such a radical change to a team that won a flag in 2012 and was unlucky to not be in the GF in 2013.

I didn't like that we'd signed a 27 year old, regardless of his quality or status, to a 9-year, seven-figure deal.

I didn't like that our forward line ironically became more dysfunctional despite having the best forward of the modern era inside 50.

And I don't like where it's heading now.

Very conflicting situation for a Swans fan like myself. Love Buddy and all he's done for the club but we forced ourselves into a can't-live-with-him, can't-live-without-him situation that we didn't need to be in. As McGowan on AFL.com said today, it was a risky move that deserves admiration, but was it risky, or just reckless?

 

[Punts]

Some wanted it to be a failure the second it happened and were already calling for it. I was not one of them but I was however apprehensive and wasn't a fan of the deal when it happened.

I didn't like that we were making such a radical change to a team that won a flag in 2012 and was unlucky to not be in the GF in 2013.

I didn't like that we'd signed a 27 year old, regardless of his quality or status, to a 9-year, seven-figure deal.

I didn't like that our forward line ironically became more dysfunctional despite having the best forward of the modern era inside 50.

And I don't like where it's heading now.

Very conflicting situation for a Swans fan like myself. Love Buddy and all he's done for the club but we forced ourselves into a can't-live-with-him, can't-live-without-him situation that we didn't need to be in. As McGowan on AFL.com said today, it was a risky move that deserves admiration, but was it risky, or just reckless?

Of course you didn’t

I bet you they were not your thoughts at the time

I bet no one cared about the length at the time as it was buddy ******* Franklin coming to us