Lions told to study Buddy
AFTER getting a close up look at Lance Franklin’s stunning AFL career develop, Brisbane coach Chris Fagan is urging patience with the Lions young key forwards.
Fagan was head of coaching and development at Hawthorn, where he spent several years with Franklin before both left the Hawks..
Franklin signed a nine-year $10 million deal with Sydney in late 2013 and last year Fagan moved to Brisbane to begin his senior coaching career.
Now he’s responsible for overseeing the development of second-season seniors Josh Schache and Eric Hipwood and another promising key forward in Michael Close.
“We show them regularly the vision of some of those great forwards and how they play the game,” Fagan said after watching Franklin kick eight goals against the Lions at the SCG on Sunday.
“I can remember Lance Franklin when he was the same age as Eric Hipwood, and he was nowhere near as good as he is now.
“He’s learnt things through experience.
“We have Josh Schache and Eric Hipwood both 19-yearolds in our forward line, to do those practice and Michael Close, (22), either.
“Two young key position players, they’ve just got a fair bit to learn.”
Fagan wasn’t surprised when Franklin kicked a monster goal with a kick of around 80 metres on Sunday.
“All players get better with age and experience and he no doubt has,” Fagan said.
“His temperament is probably better and (he’s) probably more of a team player now, brings others into the game.
“But that’s happened gradually happened over time.”
Meanwhile, Swans coach John Longmire has warned Sydney’s long overdue first win doesn’t automatically herald the start of a full-scale revival.
Beaten in their first six games, the Swans climbed off the bottom of the ladder with the win over Brisbane.
Sydney’s hailed passion for the contest, which was sighted only sporadically in other games, was evident over longer periods – though Longmire knows more is needed
‘We had to start somewhere and we had to start with a win, but there’s no guarantees with that either,” Longmire said.
“You need to come up with that ferocious contest every week. It’s not going to happen just because we’ve won the first game.” not very old