Lance Franklin is just five goals away from the magical number of 1000 majors, but both Gerard Whateley and Gerard Healy are hoping he doesn’t hit the milestone in Round 1.
The Swans clash with cross-town rivals GWS on Saturday in what shapes as a mouth-watering game, particularly for the possibility of Franklin making history.
Just five men in the history of the AFL have kicked over 1000 goals, and Franklin will imminently join the exclusive club that has not seen a new member for over two decades.
Such an occasion should draw huge interest, so why are two prominent AFL voices hoping it doesn’t happen this week?
Saturday’s clash will take place at Accor Stadium at the awkward time of 5.10pm at a ground that means little to both sides, and Whateley wonders how the AFL made such a call.
“I don’t think I’m the only one who hopes it doesn’t happen tomorrow, Lance Franklin’s 1000th goal,” he told AFL Nation
“It’s at the wrong ground, in the wrong timeslot, everything about it risks being anticlimactic, when the following week it’s Friday night, at the SCG, in the full glare.
“It leads me to wonder, how could we take this risk?”
With Round 1 a GWS home game and Giants stadium with a capacity less than 30,000, it's believed the AFL turned to Accor for it's larger seating potential.
In response to Whateley, fellow commentator Healy was even more stunned, suggesting the incredible moment could become an “embarrassment for the game”.
“I’m stuffed if I know,” he responded.
“I’m absolutely petrified this is going to be a blot and an embarrassment for the game.
“You are entitled, and in fact, it’s incumbent upon you as a code to spend whatever it takes to make this a big moment for the game and for Lance Franklin, because this is a showpiece.”
While he acknowledged the league’s difficulty in scheduling in with the threat of COVID in Australia, Healy was also disappointed at the lack of fanfare in Sydney about the occasion.
“We can all remember Plugger (Tony Lockett) kicking the record goal at Sydney, it was a huge build-up, you couldn’t buy a ticket…” he continued.
“And yet this one, I mean I’ve been in Sydney for a couple of weeks, only three weeks ago, not one word was said, there’s been one article (that I’ve seen)… and if there are less than 30,000 people there, then somebody needs their ass kicked, because that is an embarrassment.
“I know it’s a difficult time, we’ve had COVID, there’s all manner of problems, but this is never going to happen again.
“This could be the final 1000th goal kicker in history, is there any chance that somebody may say something about it in Sydney!”
Franklin will likely be marked by Giants youngster Sam Taylor on Saturday evening, while Phil Davis may also spend time on the former Hawk in an attempt to spoil the party.