Sydney will not put a cap on how many games Lance Franklin can play in a season, despite this latest injury setback.
He underwent an arthroscope to alleviate discomfort in his knee & is expected to be in doubt for Round 1.
Former St Kilda star Nick Dal Santo suggested the Swans, and other teams with veteran players, should consider a form of load-management and rest players like Franklin throughout the year.
However, Swans football boss Charlie Gardner said they won’t be putting a cap on what their star forward can achieve.
“I don’t think you can be that black & white. We’re obviously in the business of winning games and he’s an important player,” Gardner told SEN Breakfast.
“He’s a competitive athlete and wants to perform and if he is fit and healthy then he’ll play and our decision-making is about maximising his output.
“In saying that we’re already managing him in the way he trains and the ultimate aim is to have him play as many games as possible.”
Gardner added that Franklin bounced back quickly from a similar procedure on his other knee.
“It’s not ideal for Lance or the club, but it is what it is and we made a decision after Lance had some swelling and some pain in his knee to nip it in the bud now and have the clean-up done,” he said.
“Hopefully it means he can have an uninterrupted season and play some consistent footy.
“We just felt that the best course to act now and get it done. He’s had a similar procedure on his other knee which he has recovered quickly from and we think we’ll get him back, if it’s not round one, very early in the season.”