Lance Franklin's Future in the Game

[Boyler_Room]

No matter what he might achieve, he will always remain a knob.

Just like Judd.

 

[hardcore_hawk]

Agree here. Buddy Franklin could be anything on the football field, but even as a Hawks supporter, I say he will never be in the same class of the guys mentioned above. For example, I don't think I'll ever think of Buddy in the same way I think of Jason Dunstall (even if Buddy does turn out to be a better footballer).

The Archers, Dunstalls, Hirds and Harveys are guys who are champion footballers as well as very highly respected citizens and role-models. As far as pure football ability, Buddy may one day have all of them covered, but there will always be a slight lack of respect and shear admiration for him as a person as far as I'm concerned. Refer: Wayne Carey (probably the 2nd best footballer I've ever seen - but do not hold him in as high regard as the others I've mentioned, purely because of his conduct off the field).

Let me also say that, just because someone becomes an elite AFL footballer, I don't believe that means they sign a contract and agree to be respected and admired in the ilk of the Dunstalls, Hirds, Harveys and Archers. The fact that it's not mandatory though, makes these guys all the more sepcial I think.

Fair dinkum this is such a load of garbage.

I don't mean to rain on your parade but Dunstall was no saint off the field.

Buddy is 20 years old give the kid a break.

 

[mattdavies_03]

I love the double meanings in this thread; will read again

 

[evo]

He certainly is a character.

 

[Claude Balls]

Kouta doesnt come close to ranking amongst them.

Young fella, Kouta's best was as good as, if not better than any of those players... you're just not old enough to have seen any of it.

 

[ojeriojo]

This matter is still in the courts, and as such, should still be left alone.

???

Footy star brawlers escape convictions
Katie Bice
3 October 2007
Herald-Sun

BROWNLOW medallists Michael Voss and Simon Black yesterday avoided conviction after admitting their roles in an alcohol fuelled pub brawl.
Black, 28, acted during ``10 seconds of madness'' when he kicked a bar patron, while Voss, 32, played a lesser role in the violent altercation, Melbourne Magistrates' Court heard.
...

Michael Voss hasn't done anything, until he is convicted.

On the contrary, Black and Voss did do something, even though they avoided being convicted.

 

[mattdavies_03]

On the contrary, Black and Voss did do something, even though they avoided being convicted.

And yet certain players from an un-named club can't even be spoken about in reference to another illegal issue

I love the double standards

WC players drug and alcohol stories - fair game
Brisbane players fighting - fair game
Freo players misbehaving - fair game
Unnamed team stories - Court Injunction

 

[Halk Tawker]

Fair dinkum this is such a load of garbage.

I don't mean to rain on your parade but Dunstall was no saint off the field.

Buddy is 20 years old give the kid a break.

My post was, what I thought I made very clear, MY thoughts on the matter. I did not ask for, nor do I need you to agree with my sentiments before I can form an opinion.

And like I said in my original post, signing up as an AFL footballer does not mean you are lawfully obliged to live a Mary Whitehouse-type life, nor should we as fans expect that to be the case. The AFL is no different to common society - it's made up of the good guys and the bad guys and to think anything else is naive.

With regards to Dunstall, obviously I'm not as clued up as you on the man. Like with Buddy, I can only form an opinion from what I know. And what the media reports is not what we as the general public KNOW. It is what some of us THINK we know, but in reality it's just some ramblings that we've heard from someone trying to sell newspapers or get TV ratings.

What is the truth and what the media reports sometimes could not be further apart.

And finally, I attend the Hawthorn games and cheer Buddy Franklin on as much as the next Hawthorn fan. As far as I'm concerned, what he or any other player gets up to off the field has nothing to do with my afternoon at the footy.

 

[hardcore_hawk]

My post was, what I thought I made very clear, MY thoughts on the matter. I did not ask for, nor do I need you to agree with my sentiments before I can form an opinion.

And like I said in my original post, signing up as an AFL footballer does not mean you are lawfully obliged to live a Mary Whitehouse-type life, nor should we as fans expect that to be the case. The AFL is no different to common society - it's made up of the good guys and the bad guys and to think anything else is naive.

With regards to Dunstall, obviously I'm not as clued up as you on the man. Like with Buddy, I can only form an opinion from what I know. And what the media reports is not what we as the general public KNOW. It is what some of us THINK we know, but in reality it's just some ramblings that we've heard from someone trying to sell newspapers or get TV ratings.

What is the truth and what the media reports sometimes could not be further apart.

And finally, I attend the Hawthorn games and cheer Buddy Franklin on as much as the next Hawthorn fan. As far as I'm concerned, what he or any other player gets up to off the field has nothing to do with my afternoon at the footy.

Then why would you never hold him in the same regard as other Hawthorn greats? He is only 20… he could be better than Dunstall, by the end of his career, but you say you will never hold him in the same regard, my question is why? If you are basing this on rumour and innuendo of a player’s private life I dear say it many players have far worse skeletons in their cupboard.

 

[topdon]

The next Matthew Richardson.

 

[Halk Tawker]

Then why would you never hold him in the same regard as other Hawthorn greats? He is only 20… he could be better than Dunstall, by the end of his career, but you say you will never hold him in the same regard, my question is why? If you are basing this on rumour and innuendo of a player’s private life I dear say it many players have far worse skeletons in their cupboard.

Totally agree. That is why there are so few that are commonly held in such high regard as the Hirds, the Archers and the Harveys. This makes these guys even greater!!!!

And as you say, Buddy is only 20, he has time on his side. I do admit, maybe I was a little harsh in saying I'll NEVER hold him in that regard. I hope one day that I do!

 

[Upgrayedd]

Wow, a 20 year old who likes to hit the nightclubs
How does that effect his preformance on match day, all indications say no. he still wins games off his own boot, he lifts people out of their chairs when the ball is within 10 meters of him.
Kerr was an idiot when he was 20 hitting the nightclubs, but is that the first thing to hit your mind when you hear his name? no it isnt

why bother bringing it up, unless your bitter at franklin for some reason

 

[Black&White]

No matter what he might achieve, he will always remain a knob.

Fancy a blues supporter calling him a knob...What a joke!!! Of course Fevola isn't a KNOB..Talk about the pot calling the kettle black!!! I would have him in our team anytime...

 

[jacko57]

Kouta doesnt come close to ranking amongst them.

There was a time when he was, if not THE best player in the game, certainly in the top 3. He wasn't at that level for as long as Carey, Hird & others, but he does merit the 'champion' tag.

 

[unstable punt]

He doesn't like chicken. Especially when he is drunk at the best and fairest. If he doesn't like his meal on said occassion, he is likely to take the plate and empty it under the table much to the embarassment and annoyance of his team "mates".

Don't take my word for it. Ask the Sunday Age.

He is a good player and will get better but his off field behavior is a cause for concern, read in the paper over the weekend about him 'off his face' ( not my words, The Age wrote that) at B&F and chucking his plate of food under the table.

 

[afl99]

He doesn't like chicken. Especially when he is drunk at the best and fairest. If he doesn't like his meal on said occassion, he is likely to take the plate and empty it under the table much to the embarassment and annoyance of his team "mates".

Don't take my word for it. Ask the Sunday Age.

omg!!.. this is the worst thing since the wayne carey and anthony stephens incident. He has let the whole team down. i dont know if his career will recover from this. such a shame.

 

[Altum Volantes]

He'll end up at Freo on a massive contract after some kind of ego related falling out with the Hawks at some point in the next 5-10 years.

 

[afl99]

why are half the threads on this whole site on franklin?? hes had a very good year of football and seems to have a reputation of being a bit of a loose cannon. okay lets think back to the last serious thing that franklin did that damaged his reputation.

well apart from dreadful incident of putting some chicken under the table at the best and fairest night, i really cant think of much that he has done wrong.

would it be that people are a touch jealous of his ability that they find it necessary to find faults in his character??

 

[zero]

Can anybody conceive of any impediment which might interfere with this bloke achieving what seems to be his natural right of a long and successful career in the AFL?

hmmmm, any impediment?

internal only. his personality and wild social life is the only risk to his greatness.

 

[skilts]

It's well done, i'll give you that, the double meanings, the things that were implied (both good and bad) but not quite stated, probably too good for Bay 13 but that's where it belongs non the less.
It does provide a good platform for counter strikes, which I note you're already utilising.

My original post was tongue-in-cheek protest at the assiduous work of our housekeeper. It is not an indictment of Franklin, though it could be interpreted as a sly dig. I hoped to provide an opportunity for people to discuss the undiscussable, without actually discussing it. It requires a certain subtlety and sensitivity to post on this thread, and most seem to have come through with flying colours. There are ways in which just about any topic may be discussed without being offensive, or presenting a danger of exciting legal ramifications. The basic requirement is a smattering of wit.

 

[rancidpants13]

why are half the threads on this whole site on franklin?? hes had a very good year of football and seems to have a reputation of being a bit of a loose cannon. okay lets think back to the last serious thing that franklin did that damaged his reputation.

well apart from dreadful incident of putting some chicken under the table at the best and fairest night, i really cant think of much that he has done wrong.

would it be that people are a touch jealous of his ability that they find it necessary to find faults in his character??

the biggest problem is, as in almost every other walk of modern life, the internet ... well, more generally, the round-the-clock invaseiveness of modern multimedia
everywhere these high-profile people go, be it sports stars, TV, movie celebs, in fact, everyone, there's some gormless tool with a mobile phone camera and a blog or website, so every little thing is immediately available for the world to see and scrutinise

this sort of behaviour, however you want to describe or categorise it, has been going on forever, in varying degrees, we just never used to hear about it

there's no doubt highly paid young people with time on their hands will inevitably find themselves in dodgy situations, and it's also inevitable that the rest of the world will have an opinion and want that opinion heard

 

[Grunty]

It may well seem that way, but I actually love the way the bloke plays, regardless of any pecadilloes he may display. I became a convert to his cause when I saw him play a pre-season game at Waverley earlier this year. He is capable of doing things which others only encounter in fantasies.

Interesting. A penchant for South American ant eaters.

 

[Messenger]

Something similar to the Burmese military's internet censorship of those pesky democracy seeking monks.

That is the most ridiculous comparison I have ever read.


There is a difference between the Public Interest and what the public finds interesting.

 

[Dodgy Barry]

okay lets think back to the last serious thing that franklin did that damaged his reputation.

well apart from dreadful incident of putting some chicken under the table

Would love to talk about the "other matters" like 99% of posters would, but don't want to get red carded.

Watch this space.

 

[earlsta]

Franklin will be good...genuine superstar? From what I saw in the elim final against us...YES he will be.

BTW I know I'm a little biased since I go for the crows..but with everyone mentioning Kouta..Archer..Hird...Voss...wouldn't you think Riccuito deserves a mention in among these players? 8 times All Australian..2x Captain...equal highest most all australians ever...brownlow medal..1 prem medallion??

Seriously? Doesn't he deserve a mention at least? Or wasn't he good enough?