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

 

[QuietB]

I know Hawks fans will very very much disagree but these days when I see Buddy in a Hawthorn guernsey it just looks odd to me. He looks so natural in the red and white.

Kicked 94 more goals at the Hawks - deal with it

 

[RUNVS]

Kicked 94 more goals at the Hawks - deal with it

True, but he still looks nicer in red and white

 

[hawkman]

Kicked 94 more goals at the Hawks - deal with it

While also copping much worse treatment from the umps

FF-FA
Haw 219-387
Syd 239-293

 

[juss]

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

Pretty flat way to go out

Agree, deserved the hype and moment it would have received.

He'll still get media acknowledgement but it just doesn't feel the same as that final walk off the field as a player.

A legendary career.

 

[RUNVS]

Also something people don't talk about that much but Buddy's field kicking was truly elite. There would be very few players as a forward that you would want kicking the ball to you more than Buddy. Too bad there were not two of him, one to kick inside 50 and the other to mark it.

 

[BloodRet]

Greatest player I’ve ever seen play. Most Hawthorn and Swans fans alike will probably say the same thing, and we are both super lucky to support both teams and had him represent us. What buddy did for the Swans changed AFL in the city forever. So sad that he doesn’t get a farewell game he so richly deserved, but was great to see him go around another year none the less. The night he kicked 1000 will still be one of the fondest memories of my life forever

 

[hawkman]

Greatest player I’ve ever seen play. Most Hawthorn and Swans fans alike will probably say the same thing, and we are both super lucky to support both teams and had him represent us. What buddy did for the Swans changed AFL in the city forever. So sad that he doesn’t get a farewell game he so richly deserved, but was great to see him go around another year none the less. The night he kicked 1000 will still be one of the fondest memories of my life forever

As a Hawthorn supporter, I'm annoyed the AFL hasn't scheduled Sydney against us at the MCG since 2018. There should have been 1 this year that could have been a celebration

 

[juss]

Stuff like that makes you wonder why so many teams are determined to get pick 1. Pick 1 very very rarely ends up being the best player in their draft year.

Also quite amazing how long Buddy has been going as the 4 players you just listed have been gone from the game quite a while now.

And pick 2 is rarely the second best, pick 3 rarely the third best, etc.

But for those premium picks (say the top 5), pick 1 gives you access to the entire available pool, if someone had the foresight to pick Franklin, you're not competing with anyone else to get him.

I also reckon the draft is a lot more defined now than 18 years ago when Buddy was drafted. There's a lot more in the testing, research, recruitment and analysis of draftees, and these days I reckon it's a more refined science. Not many pick 1s are missed these days as guns.

 

[threesixpio]

Privilege to see him many times. My favourite was him and Cyril putting on shows together. Breath taking

Farkn Legend and yes he broke my heart

 

[BloodRet]

As a Hawthorn supporter, I'm annoyed the AFL hasn't scheduled Sydney against us at the MCG since 2018. There should have been 1 this year that could have been a celebration

Yeah ridiculous, hadn’t realised it’s been that long!

 

[threesixpio]

True, but he still looks nicer in red and white

Those grand finals at Sydney were great

But the flags at Hawthorn were a bit better

 

[OnceWeWereKings]

Was The Show in The Show.
An absolute athletic freak - 6.6, could run like the wind.
And he knew he was “IT” without ever being a knob about it.
You don’t need to slot them in as a number when they are a great
You just sit back and admire their greatness.
Buddy is, was, and will always be, remembered as one of the games greats

 

[RUNVS]

Those grand finals at Sydney were great

But the flags at Hawthorn were a bit better

4 All Australians at both clubs and 2 Coleman medals at both clubs too. Sure the premierships would have been nice but us losing them were certainly not Buddy's fault. Two of the games was our midfields fault and one of the games was the umpires fault.

 

[hawkman]

Those grand finals at Sydney were great

But the flags at Hawthorn were a bit better

2014 was very good though

 

[Thrawn]

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.

Uh, no. Amazing player, one of the best of his time but you are overexaggerating his capabilities. The first thing I'd point out is that he isn't exactly a dead-eye dick for goal as Plugger was; especially in relatively sanitised conditions where stadiums aren't a mud pit essentially.

Defenders had a lot more leeway back then, and plenty of defenders during Buddy's career (who aren't as good as some FBs in the 90s) had his measure. I mean, Alex Silvagni destroyed him one time, the Stephen variety would destroy him. But also, I wouldn't doubt Franklin would kick bags on him either, but overall he's not better than Lockett or Dunstall or Ablett Snr was. If he played in the 1980s, his training, fitness and dietary regime would be a lot different and you wouldn't even be seeing the same Buddy.

 

[threesixpio]

2014 was very good though

I thought he actually played bloody well that day considering

 

[RUNVS]

Uh, no. Amazing player, one of the best of his time but you are overexaggerating his capabilities.

Defenders had a lot more leeway back then, and plenty of defenders during Buddy's career (who aren't as good as some FBs in the 90s) had his measure. I mean, Alex Silvagni destroyed him one time, the Stephen variety would destroy him. But also, I wouldn't doubt Franklin would kick bags on him either, but overall he's not better than Lockett or Dunstall or Ablett Snr was. If he played in the 1980s, his training, fitness and dietary regime would be a lot different and you wouldn't even be seeing the same Buddy.

Players would regularly kick 10 or more goals in a game in the 80's, even muppets like Brian Taylor could do it. Kicking bags of goals was just easier back then, at least for the key forwards.

 

[The 747]

Legend of the game. Well played Buddy.

 

[Thrawn]

Players would regularly kick 10 or more goals in a game in the 80's, even muppets like Brian Taylor could do it. Kicking bags of goals was just easier back then, at least for the key forwards.

But BT isn't a Lockett or a Dunstall.

 

[BloodRet]

But BT isn't a Lockett or a Dunstall.

Lockett and Dunstall don’t even come close to the skill set Buddy had let’s be real. They weren’t running down the wing, blitzing defenders and kicking goals on the run from 70m out, and hitting their teammates lace out from up from the ground. They were just classic full forwards who led to the ball and used their size.

 

[RUNVS]

But BT isn't a Lockett or a Dunstall.

True, but the fact Brian Taylor could kick bags of goals shows how easy it was to kick bags of goals back then.

 

[threesixpio]

In times like these it pays to remind the newer members of Bigfooty that this site has been a brilliant judge of young talent.

Lance "Duddy" Franklin

Played for Box Hill today against the Burgers and had young Richmond player Dean Polo absolutley humiliate him. Franklin was eventually dragged after only 6 possessions and giving away 10 centimetres in height to Dean Polo who was BOG. Tigers find another talented young kid (watch out...

www.bigfooty.com

Why is this thread not open for further replies

BUMP!

 

[Thrawn]

Lockett and Dunstall don’t even come close to the skill set Buddy had let’s be real. They weren’t running down the wing, blitzing defenders and kicking goals on the run from 70m out, and hitting their teammates lace out from up from the ground. They were just classic full forwards who led to the ball and used their size.

Really? How about kicking for goal, the most important one, for starters?

An 80s Franklin wouldn't be running down the wing constantly because he wouldn't be on a modern day fitness program and he certainly wouldn't have the same diet. Then there's the fact that he wouldn't have access to modern-day technology all clubs take for granted, which is massive. That's the thing people forget when picking players from different eras - they have to adapt to the circumstances of that era. And by 80s Buddy, does one mean he instantly time-travels to that era as is, or a Buddy that was born 20-30 years earlier?

 

[hawkman]

I thought he actually played bloody well that day considering

About the only Sydney player that did. Him and Sewell were the only Hawks that played well in 2012 as well

 

[Thrawn]

True, but the fact Brian Taylor could kick bags of goals shows how easy it was to kick bags of goals back then.

Even then, I don't think he'd kick more than the top three.