Luke Parker lifts Sydney to Round 1 derby win over GWS Giants as Lance Franklin’s 1000-goal milestone on hold
Lance Franklin’s 1000-goal milestone will have to wait at least another week after Luke Parker provided a surprise focal point to inspire Sydney to victory over GWS Giants.
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They came for the Buddy Franklin show but it was Luke Parker who took centre stage in the Sydney Derby winning a remarkable fourth Brett Kirk Medal for best on ground as the Swans emerged 20-point winners in an enthralling contest.
The Swans co-captain broke an exhilarating game open with three consecutive goals either side of three-quarter time before setting up Isaac Heeney with the next as the Swans broke away late from a gallant GWS outfit.
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While there was hope Franklin would kick five, Parker would steal the show with that haul for the evening, the last of which was a stunning snap from 40m out that brought the red and white half of Stadium Australia to its feet.
His five majors are an equal career best haul along with 21 disposals and five tackles.
It was a game full of star individual contributors with three goals apiece from Heeney and Oli Florent with the latter also providing 20 disposals in arguably his best game as a Swan.
SEE ALL THE STATS FROM SYDNEY’S DERBY WIN IN THE MATCH CENTRE ABOVE
While Sydney would break away late, the final margin doesn’t adequately show how tight and captivating the 23rd edition of the Battle of the Bridge was, as both sides struggled to extend the game beyond a three-goal lead.
Tom Green was the main reason for the Giants ascendancy early, kicking two first half majors and dominating proceedings in the middle of the ground in a sign he is ready for a breakout campaign.
Harry Himmelberg was right there with him for the Giants, demonstrating plenty of poise and composure inside attack to finish with three goals, although he faded in the second half.
PADDY’S BACK
While it was hard to hit the headlines amongst Buddymania in Sydney, Patty McCartin deserves plenty.
The former number one draft pick’s return to AFL football after four years battling concussion issues was seamless, bar for a bad turnover to Bobby Hill in the second term.
He grew into the contest alongside the masterful work of his brother Tom down back, finishes with 14 disposals and six marks. He helped lock down Himmelberg in the second half who was causing problems early.
PARTY POOPER PHIL
Amid an engrossing contest, the duel between Giants veteran Phil Davis and Buddy Franklin, in pursuit of 1000 goals was an epic one.
Franklin may have been on the winners list but Davis was immense down back, shutting down the Swans spearhead and putting pressure on him now to kick four next week at home to Geelong.
FLORENT FLOURISHES
He’s nearing the 100 game milestone and has established his place in the Swans midfield but Oli Florent’s impact as a gamebreaker hasn’t been seen too often, until now.
The Sydney dynamo finished with three majors the second of which was a marvellous individual effort in the second quarter as he darted through several tackles and finished with aplomb from just inside fifty.
SCOREBOARD
GWS 5.3, 10.7, 12.10, 13.14 (92)
SYD 3.0, 9.4, 13.9, 17.10 (112)
DANIEL GARB’S BEST
Syd: Parker, Florent, Heeney, T. McCartin, Mills, Rowbottom, Gulden
GWS: Green, Taranto, Davis, Ward, Kelly, Flynn, Coniglio
GOALS
GWS: Himmelberg 3, Lloyd, Green, Hill 2, Taranto, Brander, Coniglio, Ward
Syd: Parker 5, Florent, Heeney 3, McLean 2, Campbell Hayward, Franklin, Gulden
INJURIES
Syd: McInerney lower leg.
GWS: None
VOTES
3. Luke Parker (SYD)
2. Oli Florent (SYD
1. Tom Green (GWS)
MICHAEL: WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO BE LOCKETT’S 1300TH OPPONENT
Jon Ralph
In the moments after Tony Lockett had kicked his incredible 1300th AFL goal he turned to opponent Mal Michael and said: “I’m glad that’s over. We can just play now”.
Twenty three years on from that record-breaking day Michael is a triple premiership Lions full back named as one of Papua New Guinea’s “living national icons”.
But if Lockett wanted to move on quickly Michael has warned Lance Franklin’s upcoming opponent they will forever be associated with the tag as the man who allowed him to kick his 1000th career goal.
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Michael now lives in Melbourne but works in commercial agriculture in PNG, having carved out a brilliant 238-game AFL career with Collingwood, Brisbane and Essendon.
He was only in his third season and playing his 34rd game at Collingwood when Lockett broke Gordon Coventry’s record of 1299 goals while playing on him, kicking his third goal of the match from a Paul Kelly pass.
Michael joked on Monday that for all of his achievements he could never live down his role in Lockett’s heroics as GWS defender Sam Taylor prepares for the round 1 job on Franklin.
“The problem is anytime I go to a sportsman’s gig that’s all anyone quotes from Wikipedia,” Michael said.
“It’s not my claim to fame but they seem to love bringing that one up. It’s all part of the story, it just happened to me that day. But it was a great day actually.
“It was a game like no other. Everyone knew the record would go that weekend so Sydney had prepared for it with all the entertainment. It was a completely different day. It was completely packed by halftime of the curtain raiser and it was a real carnival atmosphere and he kind of got it over and done with in the first quarter. He put it to bed.
“Once it went through I remember the fireworks on top of the grandstand and the crowd ran onto the ground.
“It was surreal for me because I was playing on him, but also the day that marked a record that in my personal opinion will never get broken.”
Lockett kicked 9.0 on that magical day and yet match reports note the 21-year-old Michael still held his head high.
“I was OK. I was still pretty inexperienced and maybe the day got the better of me early on. I was just glad it happened in the first quarter and even ‘Plugger’ said to me, ‘I am glad that‘s over, we can just play now’.
“I remember my old manager Ron Joseph said for someone to break the record they would need to play 13 years and kick 100 goals every year, so I can’t see that one getting broken.
“I reckon he just wants to get it over with. He has been a wonderful player. For good players like him these moments don’t seem to worry them but it would be in the back of his mind.
Get it over and done with, kick the goals, join an exclusive club and get on with it.
And his advice to Taylor or even Geelong’s Mark Blicavs if Franklin’s fifth goal of the season comes in Round 2?
“Just take it as it comes. If anything you will be in all the footy reels for the next 20 years and they will bring it up when you are retired at sportsmans gigs.
I played in all three (flags) and the losing one to Port. I had a good run. They sit second behind standing on the mark to “Plugger,” he said with a laugh.
THE BUDDY EFFECT: LEGEND’S TRIBUTE TO SYDNEY’S ROCK STAR
Michael O’Loughlin
It had always been a treat watching Lance Franklin’s brilliance on the football field.
But it wasn’t until he joined us in Sydney that I got a real taste of the enormity of what we’ll call the Buddy Effect.
It was not long after Lance arrived to play with us in Sydney, and I had taken over as head coach of the Swans’ Academy, we went to watch the cricket together at the SCG.
I hadn’t had a lot to do with him until that point, but it was really enjoyable getting to know “Bud”.
We were sitting in a corporate box, having a chat and a few drinks and I couldn’t believe the amount of people in the stands below who were turning around after nearly every over and going, “Look, there’s Buddy Franklin”.
The number of people who had turned around to take a look or had their phones up trying to take photos of him was crazy.
It was clearly evident because it was all new, Buddy was in town and he had signed for the Swans. I found it really fascinating.
He probably didn’t even notice it but that was one of the big things that I noticed. It was like you were sitting with a rock star.
That’s the effect that he has on people. The Buddy Effect.
Everywhere he goes, he attracts attention and the poor guy has had to lead a little bit of a different life to the rest of us purely because of who he is and what he has done.
Throughout the AFL’s history, we have talked about certain players pulling people through the gates. Buddy sits very comfortably – if not at the top – of that list.
He’s had that magic since he arrived in the league.
When he was a young forward at Hawthorn, my first impressions were “Wow, who is this kid?”. Watching the way he played, his movement, his workrate, his freakish skills – you couldn’t take your eyes off him.
When you see young people do something special, you tend to sit up and take notice. That was the impact he had from his first game. No one could take their eyes off him.
Sadly, I was a few years into retirement before Buddy joined the Swans, but I was lucky enough to play with some great forwards during my career in Sydney. Some real champs.
I played with a bloke called Tony Lockett, who I still say is the best player that I ever played with and have seen.
When Tony decided to basically take over a game and win it for us, that’s what he did and not many people can do that.
We’ve been very blessed in Sydney to have had some incredible forwards. Barry Hall is in that category as well and Warwick Capper before ‘Plugger’. People come through the gates to watch these players.
I have got no doubt Bud will go on to become an Australian Football Hall of Famer and a Legend with a statue somewhere.
His influence on the game, not only for those coming through the gates to watch, but for the imagination of young players — boys and girls — around the country has been huge.
I know Bud is very proud of his Indigenous culture, his heritage and his background. He has strong links to Western Australia and that has been something he wears with a lot of pride.
But his influence has transcended all communities.
It doesn’t matter if they are black, white, red or green, it doesn’t matter their background. When they first go to the footy to watch this guy with the No. 23 on his back and see what he does, he just captures their imagination.
The rest is history, they are sold. They are like ‘This player is great, this game is great, this football club is great’.
We are in a rugby league town here in Sydney and what he has done for our club, and football in this city, is just incredible.
There are not too many players who have had the influence on the game that he has had.
Adam Goodes is probably the other one. The impact Goodesy has had on people away from football and culture has been huge. Buddy sits very comfortably alongside Adam.
Now for him to be so close to joining elite company in the 1000-goal club is amazing. That’s a lot of bloody goals.
I’ve got to know Bud well since he joined Sydney and he is just an incredible person.
We’ve seen him mature from the young kid at Hawthorn trying to find his feet who kicked 100 goals and now he’s on the verge of 1000.
That just shows you his longevity in the game and that is a really impressive trait.
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Very rarely do you get a player his height that can jump, twist and turn like him. Most guys his size take a bit of time to get around a corner but he has got some tricks.
There’s no doubt Buddy has been blessed with some great DNA. But it’s more than that. You have got to work your backside off.
He has shown toughness – mentally and physically – to cope with injuries and setbacks and usually lining up on the best defender every week.
Once he hits the major milestone, he has still got a lot of work to do.
He has got to finish the year and hopefully he has got more years in him because everyone wants to see him play. That’s the effect he has on people.
* Michael O’Loughlin played 303 games for Sydney and is on the Swans board.
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