Ruthless footy fans take shots at Buddy Franklin as Swans are blown off the park in the Grand Final: ‘I didn’t know he was playing today’
- Buddy Franklin was anonymous as Swans were thrashed by Geelong
- Cats took a 35-point lead after dominant first quarter at the MCG
- Geelong booted nine goals in the third term and kept Sydney to a single behind
- Franklin had three touches and kicked 0.1 through the first three quarters
Footy fans turned on Lance Franklin as the Sydney Swans were on the receiving end of a memorable shellacking against Geelong in the Grand Final.
Franklin made history in Round 3 against the Cats as he became only the sixth player in VFL/AFL history to kick 1,000 goals, but he and the Swans had little to celebrate at the MCG on Saturday afternoon.
Just days after the 35-year-old announced he’d signed a 12-month extension to keep in Sydney until the end of next season, he found himself on the losing side in a Grand Final for the third time since he joined the Swans in 2014.
Buddy had three touches and kicked 0.1 through the first three quarters of the Grand Final
The Cats jumped out of the block and all but annihilated Sydney in the first quarter, taking a 35-point lead – the biggest first quarter margin in a Grand Final since 1989.
Geelong led by 36 at halftime and the rout continued in the second half, with the Cats six goals in the third quarter while restricting the Swans to a solitary behind.
Through it all, Franklin was effectively marked out of the game and racked up a meagre three disposals in the first three terms, kicking 0.1.
And fans wasted no time in declaring the veteran forward ‘missing in action’ when it mattered the most.
Some fans claimed they didn’t even know Franklin was on the field on Saturday
Footy fans were quick to poke fun at Franklin’s negligible contribution in the game
The Swans were obliterated off the park by Geelong in a one-sided contest at the MCG
Fans joked the Swans simply did not show up for the Grand Final on Saturday afternoon
Franklin was so anonymous it looked as though he wasn’t even playing at times
Some, meanwhile, questioned Franklin’s decision to play on for another year. The star forward will turn 36 before next season begins and time appears to be catching up with him.
Others noted that for all his statistical brilliance, Franklin’s career in Sydney may never felt like a complete success if he never wins a flag.
The 35-year-old kicked 52 goals this season – the sixth time he’s booted at least 50 majors in nine years in Sydney – to bring his tally for the Swans to 467 goals in 158 games.
Franklin was effectively shut out of the game by a suffocating Cats backline
Others noted that for all his statistical brilliance, Franklin’s career in Sydney may never felt like a complete success if he never wins a flag
Franklin has lost all the three Grand Finals he has played with the Swans in nine seasons
The veteran forward will be 36 before next season starts and time appears to be catching up
He booted 580 goals in 182 games at Hawthorn, winning two premierships with the Hawks in 2008 and 2013, but losing to Sydney in 2012.
Having swapped the Hawks for the Swans at the end of 2013, Franklin led Sydney to the Grand Final in his first season at the club only to lose against Hawthorn.
Sydney and Franklin reached the Grand Final again in 2016, only to lose against the Western Bulldogs.