‘Surreal’: Buddy-mania at the SCG as Franklin kicks his 1000th goal

They came to witness history. They got it, and it was absolutely perfect. Lance Franklin kicked his long-awaited 1000th goal in the final quarter of a match that will live long in the memory of everyone who saw it unfold in the flesh.

On a magical night at the SCG, almost every single member of the 36,578-strong crowd indulged in a good old-fashioned pitch invasion when Franklin booted his fourth goal in Sydney’s compelling 30-point win over Geelong – a result that further strengthened their premiership credentials.

Lance Franklin kicks his 1000th goal as fans, showing confidence in his accuracy, flood the SCG.Credit: Getty Images

But the game itself, by that stage, had become the sideshow. Almost irrelevant. It was all about celebrating a signature milestone for one of the best players to ever lace up a boot; a man seemingly born to be the main event.

Buddy joined Tony Lockett, Gordon Coventry, Jason Dunstall, Doug Wade and Gary Ablett Sr. to become the sixth and – in all likelihood, given the way the game is played these days – probably the last man in VFL/AFL history to reach four figures.

The sense of anticipation was palpable every time Franklin went near the ball. He had his first goal in the opening term, his second in the third quarter courtesy of a push in the back from Jack Henry, and his third a short time later from a set shot, 50 metres out and directly in front – classic Buddy territory.

Buddy Franklin’s 1000th goal.Credit: Getty

“BUDDY, BUDDY” was the chant that rang out through this famous old venue close to the three-quarter-time siren, by which point everyone’s attention had shifted from the scoreboard – where Sydney were comfortably in front – to Franklin’s stats column. They even booed when he came off for a breather, and celebrated like it was a win in itself when he came back on with 10 minutes to go in the last quarter. Rarely has one player in a team sport been the centre of such attention.

Finally, it happened. With around six minutes left on the clock, the Swans swarmed up the field. Chad Warner spotted up Franklin with a chip kick. The ball had barely left his boot when thousands upon thousands of people rushed the field, swarming Buddy for selfies before the security guards who were supposed to protect him could even get close. It was a spine-tingling, life-affirming moment.

Franklin mobbed by fans at the SCG after kicking his 1000th goal.Credit: Getty Images

As the Foo Fighters’ Hero blared out over the loudspeakers, the scene appeared more like a rock concert than a football match. Franklin looked at uncomfortable at times in the middle of the masses, as they grappled for selfies and tried to offer him a sip of beer, but one day he’ll look back on this night and marvel like everyone else.

“Surreal. It was an amazing moment, it really was. One I’ll treasure forever,” Franklin told Seven, once he managed to escape the hordes.

“I reckon I’ve got the taste of Carlton Draught in my mouth from someone!

“A lot of hard work to get there, I’ve been playing for 18 years ... I wouldn’t be able to get there without having some great teammates around me to provide those assists.”

Eventually, the crowd dispersed, and after long delay, the game resumed. Nobody really cared. Sydney won 17.5 (107) to 10.17 (77), but the only number that mattered was 1000.

“That was one of the most special moments you’re going to get, or that I can look back on,” Swans coach John Longmire said. “We’ve just been able to watch one of the all-time greats go about his business. To be able to sit there and watch that tonight was pretty special.”

Longmire did, however, admit to feeling worried for not only Franklin but those around him when he became enveloped by well-wishers.

“I was a bit concerned, to be honest,” he said.

“When I got down to the rooms, there was some talk about some little kids stuck at the bottom, so I just wanted to make sure everyone was out there, police and security, to help. It’s a great thrill, but you don’t want it to be dangerous. But then when we got everyone off and realised everyone was OK, you’ve just got to soak that in.

“You talk about it a bit downstairs when he first comes off and there were some stories - a couple of the players, I think Chad Warner and Oli Florent were walking down Driver Avenue [outside the SCG] in their footy boots because they went out another exit and couldn’t get back into the change rooms across the ground. So they were walking down Driver Avenue in their footy boots, which would’ve been a sight.

“How lucky are the players that played tonight to be part of that?”

The AFL’s 1000-goal club.Credit: The Age

Spare a thought for Isaac Heeney, who kicked five goals that nobody will remember, dining out in the open space around Franklin as the Cats double- and triple-teamed him. Will Hayward booted three, while Brad Close popped up with a four-goal cameo in one of few highlights for the visitors.

Geelong kicked the first two goals of the night but were ruthlessly dismantled thereafter, unable to match the Swans’ rare mix of pressure and precision. They no longer rely on Franklin to kick a winning score as they once did. But gee, it’s still good fun when he gets going.

“It always had the potential to be Buddy’s night, and Australian football in Sydney. We’ve got nothing but good things to say about the great man,” Geelong coach Chris Scott said.

“I’m a huge advocate for footy north of the Murray. And if the takeaway from this night is we’re really disappointed and had to suck it up a little bit while Sydney celebrated - we can live with that.”

Keep up to date with the best AFL coverage in the country. Sign up for the Real Footy newsletter.