Swansong – The Best of Buddy: AFL Legend Lance Franklin Calls it Quits

<p>Just like that, 18 years of dominance, goals and stunning highlights comes to an end.</p> <p>Without fuss or over blown fanfare, Sydney Swans forward Lance Franklin announced his retirement from professional football effective immediately.</p> <p>Even the press conference was understated, in fact, he wasn’t even there.</p> <p>Just as he’s done throughout his career, Buddy decided to let his accomplishments on the field do the talking.</p> <p>Luckily for him, what he achieved on the pitch is so incredible, he doesn’t have to say another word again if he doesn’t want to.</p> <p>Widely considered to be one of, if not the greatest, players of the modern era, Franklin produced countless moments of magic on the field for both Sydney and Hawthorn throughout his 18-year career.</p> <p>To celebrate this legend of the game, here at Sportsbet we’re taking a look back at Buddy’s best moments from his time in the AFL.</p> <p>So, sit back and enjoy the best of Buddy as we salute this legend of the game.</p> <p><strong>&nbsp;</strong></p> <h1>Lance Franklin’s AFL Journey</h1> <p><strong>&nbsp;</strong></p> <p>Lance “Buddy” Franklin was drafted by Hawthorn in 2004. He made his debut for the Hawks in round 1 of the 2005 season against future employers the Sydney Swans at the SCG.</p> <p>He had a solid start to life in the AFL, kicking 21 goals in 20 games that season, although this was simply an appetizer for what was to come.</p> <p>Franklin’s breakout season came two years later in 2007, he finished that season with 63 goals, which included kicking nine goals in one match against Essendon in round 6.</p> <p>From there, Buddy established himself as one of the competition’s premier players and the greatest forward of his generation.</p> <p>He kicked a mind-blowing 102 goals in 2008 to win his first of four Coleman Medals, again kicking nine goals against Essendon in a single game. He also became the first player since the legendary Tony Lockett to kick 100 goals in a single season.</p> <p>2008 was also the year Franklin would win the first of his two premierships with the Hawks, kicking two goals in the final to help defeat Geelong.</p> <p>Lance went on to kick a few more hundred goals for Hawthorn as well as winning another Premiership and Coleman Medal before joining the Sydney Swans in 2014.</p> <p>While he never won a Premiership at the Swans, Franklin kicked a further 486 goals after signing for the Red and Whites, including bringing up his 1000th goal in the AFL while playing for the club.</p> <p>Then just this week, at the age of 36, Buddy announced he would be hanging up his boots effective immediately, thus bringing down the curtain on one of the greatest careers in AFL history<strong>.</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h1>Lance Franklin Career Statistics</h1> <p><strong>&nbsp;</strong></p> <p><strong>Games: </strong>354 (182 for Hawthorn and 172 for Sydney).</p> <p><strong>&nbsp;</strong></p> <p><strong>Goals: </strong>1066 (fourth most of all-time).</p> <p><strong>&nbsp;</strong></p> <p><strong>Premierships: </strong>2 (in 2008 and 2013 with Hawthorn).</p> <p><strong>&nbsp;</strong></p> <p><strong>Coleman Medals: </strong>4 (2008, 2011, 2014, 2017).</p> <p><strong>&nbsp;</strong></p> <p><strong>All-Australian team selection: </strong>8 (2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018).</p> <p><strong>&nbsp;</strong></p> <p><strong>AFL Goal of the Year: </strong>2 (2010, 2013).</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h1>Lance Franklin Best Goals</h1> <p><strong>&nbsp;</strong></p> <p>Buddy kicked over 1000 goals in his career, so when trying to pick his best, there’s plenty of options.</p> <p>Somehow, we’ve managed to whittle down his 1066 majors to what we believe are his top five six pointers.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Sydney vs Adelaide – Round 22, 2017.</strong></p> <p>Boy did Buddy love that left touchline. The notoriously one-footed Franklin has a left peg that was truly unrivaled.</p> <p>This goal for the Swans against the Crows in 2017 showed just how lethal that left foot was. After collecting the Sherrin, Franklin effortlessly strode 150m down the wing before letting fly from the tightest of angles to put his side ahead 49-48.</p> <p><strong>&nbsp;</strong></p> <p><strong>Hawthorn vs Adelaide – Elimination Final, 2007.</strong></p> <p>Sometimes goals are noteworthy for the skill, sometimes for their significance. This one makes our list simply for how ridiculously clutch it was.</p> <p>Trailing by three points with just seconds left on the clock against the Crows in 2007, a fresh-faced Buddy took a mark 50m out on old faithful (the left touchline).</p> <p>The equation was simple, miss and the Hawks season was over, send it through the sticks and it was the Crows who would be preparing for Mad Monday.</p> <p>Never in doubt. All the Adelaide defenders could do was watch in disbelief as Franklin sent the Sherrin sailing through the sticks.</p> <p><strong>&nbsp;</strong></p> <p><strong>Sydney vs Geelong – Round 2, 2022.</strong></p> <p>This goal makes this list more for its significance than its aesthetic beauty. This strike against Geelong at the SCG was of course Buddy’s 1000th major in the big time.</p> <p>With this famous kick, Franklin joined the elite club of Tony Lockett, Gordon Coventry, Jason Dunstall, Doug Wade and Gary Ablett Snr as the only men to have kicked 1000 or more goals in the VFL/AFL.</p>

<p><strong>Hawthorn vs Collingwood – Round 3, 2013.</strong></p> <p>This belter against Collingwood in 2013 gifted Buddy his second Goal of the Season award. After leaping over teammate Ben Stratton (who had been tackled handballing the pill to Franklin) big bad Buddy let rip from 75m, the rest as they say, is history.</p>

<p><strong>Hawthorn vs Essendon – Round 13, 2010</strong></p> <p>Arguably Franklin’s greatest major came back in 2010. He won his first Goal of the Season award for it - a truly miraculous 50m strike from the left boundary line against Essendon. The angle was so acute, you can almost hear the moment everyone’s jaws hit the floor.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>It wasn’t just the strike itself, the lead up was equally as impressive. For a man of his size, Buddy possessed frightening pace and it put it to good use to burn Essendon key defender Cale Hooker with ease.&nbsp;</p> <p>He made Cale and the other chasing defenders look like they were stuck in quicksand as he gunned down the wing before kicking his masterpiece.&nbsp;</p> <p>A goal, which much like its scorer, will go down in the annals of AFL history as one of the greatest of all time.&nbsp;</p>