The Buddy effect: How Lance Franklin changed Sydney
Lance Franklin sprung two surprises when he left AFL heartland in Melbourne for Sydney a decade ago: he snubbed the league’s shiny new expansion club, and his nine-year contract was a then-astronomical $10 million.
“People saying we were being irresponsible… that we’d signed him for too long, we were paying him too much, he wouldn’t last out the contract,” Sydney Swans chairman Andrew Pridham told AFR Weekend, of the man known almost universally as “Buddy”.
“There was hysteria… I think that’s the territory with Buddy Franklin. He’s larger than life.”
Franklin was 26 when he moved, and already had two premierships under his belt with his former team, Hawthorn. His deal would push him far into a wage bracket few top players reach.
More than a decade later, few would dispute the financial risk the Swans took. When Franklin announced his retirement this week, he ended a professional football career spanning 354 games and 1066 goals – the fourth-highest tally in VFL/AFL history.
Former AFL commissioner Mike Fitzpatrick said Franklin is a true champion of the sport.
“There is not a single supporter who has not enjoyed watching him deliver unforgettable moments combining skill, agility, power, speed and sheer football smarts,” Mr Fitzpatrick said. “He has been wonderful for the Swans and for the AFL in Sydney, creating huge interest in the game as [Tony Lockett], [Barry] Hall and [Warwick] Capper did before him.”
The 2013 deal, negotiated between former Swans chairman Richard Colless, former chief executive Andrew Ireland and Franklin’s manager Liam Pickering, caused more than just hysteria in the media.
Fans rushed the field at the SCG last year when Lance Franklin kicked his 1000th goal, a feat achieved by just three other
Read more on afr.com
