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”.
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Zoe Samios covers wagering and the business of sport from the AFR's Sydney newsroom. She was previously the media and telecommunications reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, and covered media at The Australian. Connect with Zoe on Twitter. Email Zoe at zoe.samios@afr.com
Samantha Hutchinson is the AFR's National Reporter. Most recently, she was CBD columnist for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. Before that, she covered Victorian and NSW politics and business for The Australian, the AFR and BRW Magazine. Connect with Samantha on Twitter. Email Samantha at samantha.hutchinson@afr.com.au
