A member of Sydney’s 2012 premiership side has dismissed claims that Lance Franklin’s tenure with the Swans can be judged simply on a lack of ultimate success.
Franklin shocked the football world in late 2013, signing a lucrative worth $10 million over nine years with the Swans following a nine-year, two-premiership career with Hawthorn.
Speaking to SEN’s Sporting Capital, premiership defender Ted Richards was critical of the idea that one player is responsible for a club’s fortunes.
“First of all, what a load of crap, the way people determine (that) a premiership is the way you determine if someone has been a success or not,” he said.
“I think that’s a very lazy, somewhat American way of looking at things, because if you go hard after a basketballer or a quarterback in the NFL, an individual has so much say in the outcome of that game. Our game is different, it’s even more diverse in terms of there’s 22 picked as opposed to soccer (11) or five picked in basketball.
“The other example I’d use is that St Kilda go out and pick Nick Riewoldt with the number one draft pick, Nick Riewoldt is one of the greats of the game, he didn’t win a premiership, was that a failure of the Saints in picking Nick (because) they didn’t win a premiership out of him?
“You’d be a fool to suggest that.”
The Swans reached the Grand Final in two of Franklin’s first three seasons in the Harbour City, losing on both occasions to the Hawks and Bulldogs.
At 35 years of age and in the final year of his initially signed nine-year deal, Franklin has passed the 1000-goal mark and now prepares to playa key role for the team in yet another decider against Geelong.
“What (Franklin) has been able to achieve in his time at the Swans; this’ll be his third Grand Final, Coleman Medals, All-Australians, he was even an All-Australian captain one year, high in the best and fairest year after year,” Richards said.
“We had a better season in 2014 with (Franklin) than in 2012. We almost went in too good. It was the opposite to 2012, we were smacking everyone, and we almost sailed through the finals, (but) credit to Hawthorn (who) showed us up on Grand Final day.
“Unless you’ve lived in Sydney, you’ve got no idea what it’s like for AFL to exist in a city where rugby league, rugby union and soccer are equally at the table and on the news and in the media.
“You’ve really got to fight to get the attention, and that’s what Buddy does.”
Regardless of the outcome on Saturday, Franklin will play on for a 19th season in 2023, with the news announced via a two-word press release on Tuesday, simply reading ‘one more’.