Best of rivals to go at it again

THE record sits at 7-4 in Tom Lonergan’s favour.

But it does not really speak to the epic battles shared between Sydney champion Lance Franklin and the Geelong veteran. If we were to speak in boxing terms, a few of those bouts would have been split points decisions rather than unanimous ones.

From home-and-away rounds to finals, from Hawthorn to Sydney, Lonergan has always been the man standing next to Franklin’s shoulder whenever the Cats have come up against him. But tonight’s clash at Simonds Stadium could be the last time the two go head to head.

This is looming as Lonergan’s final season and Geelong may not play Sydney come finals. So if this is the curtain call, this will be Franklin’s last chance to get one back on his old foe.

It’s a challenge the 33-yearold Cat will relish.

“I suspect so,” Geelong coach Chris Scott said when asked if Lonergan had some extra bounce in his step ahead of another clash with Franklin.

“But I’d be staggered if there wasn’t a little bit of apprehension in that gait as well. He has done as good a job as anyone I’ve seen on Buddy. But we are all well aware how difficult that is and what a trap it is to say, ‘I’m a good match-up for this guy’.”

Lonergan said yesterday he would not have discussions with the club about his future until the end of the season.

His focus is not shifting further than a week ahead.

“I love playing Sydney, they’re a great football organisation, a great team and we’ve got a few down, obviously Pat [Dangerfield] is missing, and we’re all going to have to step up to match it with those guys,” Lonergan said.

“He [Franklin] is certainly a guy I love playing on, he’s probably the best forward in the competition and has been for a long period of time, so I enjoy coming up against the best, it’s just another good opportunity.”