Will I play ... or just chill out here a little longer?

SYDNEY spearhead Lance Franklin is certainly no certainty to play this weekend, but he has added motivation to punish his former side Hawthornthorn after Hawks bosboss Jeff Kennett claimed Buddy had never hurt them in the past. t.

HAWTHORN president Jeff Kennett has poured petrol on his club’s crucial clash with Sydney on Saturday night, declaring former Hawks star Lance Franklin has never played well against his old side.

Kennett said Franklin — battling to be fit for Saturday night’s top-four decider as he tries to overcome a groin injury — had struggled to have a big impact against the Hawks. The numbers show Franklin has booted 21 goals in nine matches against his former club, twice going goalless.

Kennett said he didn’t resent Franklin’s departure, saying he “loved playing against Buddy” and hoped the one-time club favourite would soon return to full fitness.

“I’m sorry if he’s not playing this weekend and I can understand if he has a groin injury, that if I was Sydney I wouldn’t be risking him knowing that they are going into the finals,” Kennett said.

“It’s interesting, I’ve known Lance for many years, he’s a great guy and he’s grown tremendously over the years, but he’s never played well against Hawthorn. “He’s never played well.” Asked how his comments would go down with coach Alastair Clarkson, Kennett told radio station NOVA 100 he was simply being honest.

“Hang on, you’ve got to be quite open and honest and that’s why I like the challenge,” he said. “Because I’m waiting for the day. If he plays it’s good, I hope he doesn’t play if he’s genuinely hurt because I think it’s better for the competition if he’s there in the finals.

“He gets a kick, [but] name a game [when he’s destroyed the Hawks].

“I think his mind transfers back to the brown and gold, you know what it’s like.”

Franklin’s best return for Sydney against Hawthorn came in Round 10 last year, when he booted 5.1. But the Hawks won an SCG thriller by a goal.