Buddy’s bag may spark goal-fest

DUAL premiership coach Malcolm Blight thinks Lance Franklin’s eight-goal haul could hail the return of the centurion goalkicker.

Franklin, the last player to kick 100 goals in a season as a Hawk in 2008, feasted on a glut of one-on-one opportunities to destroy West Coast in an effort that wound back the clock.

Champion Data figures reveal Sydney was able to engineer eight one-on-one opportunities for its marquee forward against the Eagles.

In last year’s semi-final loss to Geelong, Franklin was crucially only allowed three oneon-ones inside 50m.

“Going to sleep on Sunday night ... made for the most beautiful recurring dream — there is going to be more than one player genuinely chasing 100 goals this season,” Blight said.

“The declaration that — in this “modern era” of team defence and team attack — there will never again be a 100goal AFL forward is hogwash. “The dream is alive again.” If crowded forward lines are a goalkicker’s poison, then Sydney and coach John Longmire might have found the antidote.