Legends back Buddy to break into 1000 club
TWO giants of the AFL have lavished praise on Lance Franklin as the Sydney Swan champion prepares to become the sixth member of the 1000 club.
Franklin sits on 995 career goals and has been backed in by Swans champion Tony Lockett and Hawthorn great Jason Dunstall to break into quadruple figures in the opening rounds of the 2022 season.
Just five men in the history of the game – Lockett (1360 goals), Gordon Coventry (1299), Dunstall (1254), Doug Wade (1057) and Gary Ablett Sr (1031) – have broken the 1000-goal barrier.
The Swans kick off their campaign against Greater Western Sydney at Accor Stadium on Saturday, March 19 in the Battle of the Bridge.
If Franklin falls short of the magical mark in Round 1, he has a chance to reach the rare milestone in front of Swans fans at the SCG in Round 2 on Friday, March 25.
Dunstall said there were a number of factors behind Franklin’s success.
“It’s a combination of a lot of things; it’s longevity, it’s consistency and it’s being a bloody good player above all,” Dunstall said. “I think the thing about Buddy though that probably sets him apart, and some may say he’s not quite as accurate as some who’ve played the game, is that he creates more scoring opportunities than anybody. I mean, he can bomb it off one step from 60m and all of a sudden he’s in range.”
Franklin started his career with Hawthorn after being drafted at No. 5 in 2004.
He quickly stamped himself as a dominant forward and became the last player to kick 100 goals in a season in the Hawks premiership year of 2008.
Franklin played in two premierships in 182 games at Hawthorn and kicked 580 goals before crossing to Sydney in 2014. He has kicked 415 goals in 136 games at Sydney.