News LANCE Franklin, one of the greatest players in the history of the game, has announced his retirement, effectively immediately.

[_Mike_]

LANCE Franklin, one of the greatest players in the history of the game, has announced his retirement, effectively immediately.

The 36-year-old informed his teammates on Monday that his decorated career is over.

The news comes after he injured his calf in Saturday night's win over Essendon.


Franklin confirmed the news with an Instagram post alongside a photo of Alastair Clarkson and John Longmire, his two AFL coaches.


"What a journey. Thanks to everyone who has been on this crazy ride with me," he wrote.

Courtesy: ALF.com.au

 

[RUNVS]

Kicked 100 goals in 2008 and the game changed completely after that. No real stay at home full forwards and the full ground press meant lower scores overall.

Scary how many he would've kicked if he played 20 years earlier.

Most box office player I've seen by that far.

Had Buddy played in the 1980's I genuinely think he would have kicked more goals than Plugger. You give Buddy the space those forwards of yesteryear got he would have ripped oppositions apart considerably more than he already did. He may not have been the best contested mark on the planet but Buddy was excellent one on one.

 

[Roby]

Should have gone around again with another team.
A good honest footballer, gave it a solid knock. I met him at the Hookers ball in Darwin after they won the flag in 2008.

 

[The Cryptkeeper]

Did stuff on a football field that nobody has ever done.

I was on level two on center wing and this happened right in front of me.



Never seen anything like it. Will never see anything like it again.

 

[Roddy]

Farewell Buddy, it's been amazing. I was angry and bitter when you left the Hawks after winning two flags with us, but I got over myself.
To me, this piece of play encapsulates what was great about him, great about the Hawks in this era, and part of what's great about our game. I was there that day, it was absolutely ELECTRIC.

 

[BobbyMorri]

The afl world deserved a farewell game to say show their appreciation and respect to the legend.

Pretty flat way to go out

which is why booing champions near the end of their career is stupid IMO

You never know when their last game is or the last time we see them on the footy field.

 

[Altum Volantes]

Which do you think Cale Hooker

26

Cale Hooker

Age

36

Ht

198cm

Wt

103kg

Pos.

D/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.2

4star

K

8.2

3star

HB

8.0

5star

M

6.3

5star

T

1.8

4star

MG

213.6

3star

D

11.8

3star

K

5.8

2star

HB

6.0

3star

M

5.0

5star

T

0.8

1star

MG

107.0

2star

D

14.6

4star

K

3.2

2star

HB

11.4

5star

M

4.4

4star

T

1.4

4star

likes being brought up less?

That Buddy goal or the 12 month ban?

 

[texanmike]

Superstar. Hope that you still remain involved in the game.

 

[RUNVS]

I remember at first I was not super sure about Sydney signing Buddy but I remember the day I became fully converted



A big game, Port Adelaide was a very good team in 2014, talked about as flag contenders from memory, and it was a very close game, and then Buddy just went into god mode in the 4th quarter, some truly amazing goals, and he just off his own boot won the game for the Swans.

 

[Bombermania]

Words like star and great get overused but Buddy deserves to be called a star and great player. The only real debate about Buddy's career will be, was he better at Hawthorn or Sydney and despite Buddy always doing a job on Essendon, he was great to watch, some of his goals were outstanding and all you could do was clap.

 

[greatwhiteshark]

Without question one of the all time greats.

 

[RUNVS]

Words like star and great get overused but Buddy deserves to be called a star and great player. The only real debate about Buddy's career will be, was he better at Hawthorn or Sydney and despite Buddy always doing a job on Essendon, he was great to watch, some of his goals were outstanding and all you could do was clap.

Too hard to separate really. Won 4 All Australians at both Hawthorn and Sydney and also won 2 Coleman medals at both Hawthorn and Sydney. Buddy could have relaxed a bit when he got that huge contract from the Swans but he definitely did not.

 

[Happy Mastenator]

One of those players that always made the effort to go an see when he came to town (prior to him actually moving to Sydney). There are just some players you have to go and see live in the flesh.

He never disappointed either. Remember the first game i specifically went to watch him he kicked a lazy 5 which he did so easy.

 

[Edmund hunt]

He's one of those players you will always cherish watching him play live at the game. As a Swans supporter I will always be glad to say I was able to watch him play live countless times over my 8 years as a Swans member.

On SM-A515F using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[ashep]

Just a pity it took him until 3 games before the end to become a contested marking beast.

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

Few players have brought so much fun and magical delight to fans of our great game.

 

[Truckosaurus]

1000 goals is an incredible achievement. 1000 goals in the modern game, where scores are lower and double figure games rarer, is a phenomenonal achievement.

 

[kirbatron]

thanks bud for everything

 

[Nuggets73]

I don't think I've seen a guy 6ft 6 move the way Franklin did at his peak, he was an absolute freak - deserves to go down as a legend of the game.

 

[RUNVS]

Here is Buddy and other KPF's drafted in the 21st century

1. Lance Franklin - 1066 goals
2. Jack Riewoldt - 782 goals
3. Tom Hawkins

26

Tom Hawkins

Age

36

Ht

197cm

Wt

105kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.2

3star

K

7.9

3star

HB

4.4

3star

M

5.5

5star

T

1.9

4star

G

2.1

5star

D

12.7

3star

K

8.6

3star

HB

4.1

3star

M

5.1

5star

T

2.1

3star

G

1.6

5star

D

7.8

2star

K

5.6

3star

HB

2.2

2star

M

4.2

4star

T

1.0

3star

G

2.2

5star

- 779 goals
4. Josh Kennedy - 723 goals
5. Nick Riewoldt - 718 goals
6. Jarryd Roughhead - 578 goals
7. Jeremy Cameron

5

Jeremy Cameron

Age

31

Ht

196cm

Wt

94kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.5

3star

K

9.0

3star

HB

3.4

3star

M

5.4

5star

T

1.6

4star

G

2.6

5star

D

10.0

3star

K

7.1

3star

HB

2.9

2star

M

4.6

4star

T

2.0

3star

G

1.9

5star

D

8.2

2star

K

5.0

2star

HB

3.2

3star

M

4.6

5star

T

2.4

4star

G

2.0

5star

- 575 goals

He has over 250 goals more than his next closest contemporary.

 

[Collingwood 4 eternity]

Great career Buddy

2ng biggest sub story of the year ?

 

[Budgey]

Never forget that QF against the dogs where he kicked 8 on Brian Lake. Looked like nothing we’d ever seen.

This was arguably his best game. Almost every one of his 8 goals was incredible. He was on a level that very few others have ever played, on that night.

 

[Sub_Zero]

		W	L	D	%
1.	Collingwood	16	7	0	88.3%
2.	Brisbane Lions	14	9	0	101.8%
3.	Port Adelaide	14	9	0	90.7%
4.	Sydney	13	9	1	163.5%
5.	Essendon	13	10	0	146.9%
6.	St Kilda	13	10	0	94.1%
7.	GWS	13	10	0	85.9%
8.	Melbourne	13	10	0	85.7%
9.	Geelong	12	10	1	149.2%
10.	Carlton	12	10	1	125.4%
11.	Richmond	12	10	1	102.4%
12.	Gold Coast	11	12	0	94.0%
13.	Adelaide	10	13	0	97.1%
14.	Fremantle	10	13	0	87.4%
15.	Western Bulldogs	10	13	0	72.8%
16.	Hawthorn	9	14	0	115.6%
17.	North Melbourne	5	18	0	81.1%
18.	West Coast	5	18	0	70.4%

QF1: Collingwood v SYDNEY
QF2: Brisbane Lions v PORT ADELAIDE
EF1: ESSENDON v Melbourne
EF2: St Kilda v GWS

SF1: Collingwood v ESSENDON
SF2: BRISBANE LIONS v GWS

PF1: SYDNEY v Brisbane Lions
PF2: Port Adelaide v ESSENDON

GF: SYDNEY v Essendon

Buddy gets back for the Grand Final.
Sydney win by 1 point, Buddy kicks 10 goals with the 10th being after the siren.

what

 

[RAPPA]

Remarkable achievement to have kicked 1000 goals in the modern era. Won’t happen again.

 

[Wolfgang West]

What age in your 30's?

I'm 37 and your generation and he's behind Carey and Ablett Snr in my time watching football.

You only mentioned Ablett to hide your Carey wank. LMFAO.

 

[geelong_crazy26]

Did stuff on a football field that nobody has ever done.

I was on level two on center wing and this happened right in front of me.



Never seen anything like it. Will never see anything like it again.

One seriously overrated goal… sorry to say. Burning Cale hooker isn’t exactly a miracle accomplishment with an open paddock.