BUDDY BRILLIANCE

New book The Immortals of Australian Football celebrates a collection of legendary players from the AFL and its predecessor, the VFL. This month, we look at the incredible career of one of the modern era greats, LANCE FRANKLIN...

- ANDREW CLARKE

When Lance Franklin kicked his 1000th AFL goal in 2022, James Brayshaw was calling the game, and he said, “The legend becomes Immortal.” There is an enduring image of Lance Franklin embracing the Hawthorn fans from a distance. He’d just kicked the winning goal in his first final against Adelaide, the last of seven on the day and three in the final quarter to carry the Hawks to an upset win. His long bomb sailed through the middle, and the long-starving Hawks fans were on their feet as Franklin faced them with arms spread.

I was in the stands that night with Byron, my three-year-old son, who was still buzzing an hour or so later when we made it home, waving his Hawks flag. His mother said she had never seen him like that, and we were not alone. Buddy had electrified the crowd, just as he did countless times during his more than 350 games and near 20-year career.

He dragged crowds through the gates and was a large part of Hawthorn’s success on and off the field, just as he was with Sydney when he joined the Swans in 2014 on a $10 million nine-year deal. The Swans say he was worth $11 million in membership sales in his first season.

The game has never seen a tall forward like him, and maybe never will again. He wasn’t flying over packs like Gary Ablett, but he was doing things Ablett could never do. On his good days, and there were many, there was nothing anyone could do to stop him. His ability at ground level was like that of a rover, and with those skills and his size, he was an impossible match-up. Even as a young player, he thrived in the battle and stood up to the challenge. Tall enough to be a ruckman, he started at 196 cm and ended at 199 cm. He was an athletic beast who could outrun most on the field. He spent his pre-seasons smashing his mates at Hawthorn and later Sydney in repeat sprints.