Lance Franklin calls time on glittering AFL career

afr.com:

Lance Franklin, one of the AFL’s greatest players, has terrorised his last opposition backline.

The legendary Sydney and Hawthorn key forward has retired after injuring his calf in Saturday night’s win over Essendon.

Franklin went to the club to tell his teammates on Monday, but one of the game’s most marketable talents did not join a media conference in the afternoon fronted by coach John Longmire and club chief executive Tom Harley.

Buddy Franklin with coach John Longmire, wife Jesinta and fellow Swans players on Monday. Phil Hillyard

“Everyone would have loved to have Lance available – he just doesn’t like these situations,” Longmire said.

Longmire and Harley said Franklin would eventually speak about his retirement.

Franklin, who won two premierships with the Hawks in 2008 and ’13, belongs in the conversation with Graham “Polly” Farmer and former Swans teammate Adam Goodes as the game’s greatest Indigenous player.

The 36-year-old is fourth on the all-time leading goalkickers list with 1066 goals from his 354 games.

The last big highlight of Franklin’s career came last season when he kicked his 1000th goal, sparking wild celebrations as fans thronged onto the SCG playing surface.

At his peak, Franklin was unstoppable and his highlights feature some of the best goals in AFL history. Getty

“What a journey. Thanks to everyone who has been on this crazy ride with me,” said Franklin in an Instagram post complete with a photo of him alongside his only two senior coaches, Hawthorn’s Alastair Clarkson and Longmire, taken after the 1000-goal game.

Franklin stunned the sport at the end of the 2013 season by signing a massive nine-year deal with the Swans.

He extended that deal by a year in grand final week last season, a few