If I was going to compare Francis to any player in the league, it is Hurley. He has almost identical physical attributes, albeit at a few cm shorter, with game which is built on powerful/explosive movements and average agility (and suspect endurance). I don't see any Goddard even if he says that is who he has based parts of his game on.
The major difference between Francis and Hurley that I can see is that as a defender Francis is an intercept player whereas Hurley is as good a one on one defender as there is in the league. Francis' hands are better and he seems a smarter forward with more tricks than Hurley who really only had a "bull at a gate" lead in his repertoire.
Having seen him forward in the two VFL finals I am now of the view that it's both a better use of Francis' talents and a better fit for the side for him to play forward.