AFL 2022: Lance Franklin’s 1000 goal footy returned, security efforts labelled ‘pathetic’ after crowd chaos

The footy that secured Lance Franklin a place in AFL history has been found after being souvenired by a fan. See what the Swans fan had to say.

Lance Franklin celebrates kicking his 1000th career goal at SCG. Picture: AFL Photos

Buddy has his ball back.

The lucky Swans fan, Alex Wheeler, who snaffled the Sherrin that Lance Franklin put through the SCG uprights on Friday night for his 1000th career goal has returned it to the Swans superstar.

Wheeler posted on Instagram on Saturday that he planned to give the ball back to a grateful Franklin, and he was at the SCG on Monday posing for photos with the AFL legend and the historic ball.

The moment ends a few days of panic, speculation and drama after Sydney put out a desperate SOS on social media for the then-unknown supporter.

The Swans made the offer at the time for Wheeler to attend training, meet Franklin and present the Sherrin to him.

Speaking on Monday, Wheeler explained that he took the ball home before going to the pub but got “paranoid” it would be stolen and left early.

“It was always my intention to get it back to the Swans and Buddy,” King said.

Wheeler revealed after catching the ball he jumped the fence and “had a couple of handballs to myself” on the field before escaping the SCG and catching a taxi home.

He said he was hit on the head by the ball after it sailed through the goals – “there’s a little bruise there but it’s not much” – and added he had received plenty of advice to sell the famous ball, was thought it was “wasn’t right”.

“I want to see it back at the SCG.”

Franklin became just the sixth VFL/AFL footballer to reach the 1000-goal mark, behind Tony Lockett (1360), Gordon Coventry (1299), Jason Dunstall (1254), Doug Wade (1057) and Gary Ablett snr (1031).

The 35-year-old’s fourth and final goal sparked mayhem for about half an hour, with excitable fans storming the SCG to celebrate the special moment.

More to come

Fan Alex Wheeler hand the match ball back to Lance Franklin. Picture: NCA Newswire / Gaye Gerard

Geelong player Zach Tuohy was accidentally hit by a fan in a head clash and remarkably then returned his keys by chasing after the fan.

Tuohy and Jeremy Cameron were both part of bruising collisions as Sydney fans ran onto the ground amid the suspicion that some spectators initiated collisions as they taped them on their phones.

Said Tuohy on 3AW of the environment: “It was an interesting night. I wasn’t the only player that got hit pretty hard and I am not sure they were all accidents.”

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Mick Malthouse has described the efforts to protect Lance Franklin on Friday night as pathetic. Picture: AFL Photos via Getty Images

Malthouse went further on ABC Radio on Saturday, saying Franklin had to have been protected better on a night where 38 security guards and 12 policemen were on hand to specifically help out with the superstar forward’s safety.

“The night was a demonstration of something that wasn’t organised correctly,” Malthouse said.

“The simple fact spectators were able to get to him before any of the people guarding him or protecting his space, I thought that was quite pathetic (and that Gill McLachlan) has a lot to answer for.

“There’s always going to be incidents, you only need one who takes a knife.”

Total mayhem as fans swarm onto the ground to celebrate Franklin’s 1000th career goal. Picture: AFL Photos

Geelong have not submitted a complaint but are sure to be spoken to by the AFL over the safety of their fans.

Geelong football boss Simon Lloyd made clear there was significant improvement if the AFL ever found itself in the position again.

“This is a momentous occasion that deserved to be celebrated but I’m sure the AFL will work on how we can make those moments as safe as possible for our players and fans in the future,” he said.

The Herald Sun revealed last week there were specific plans in place as it discouraged fans from running onto the field.

Geelong players were hit amid the suspicion that some spectators initiated collisions.

AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan’s admission that he wasn’t too fussed if that happened captured the mood in one of footy’s great moments that was broadcast around the world.

But the league was lucky no Geelong players were injured amid the chaos of the event.

Sydney plans to reunite Franklin with the ball taken by fan Alex Wheeler at a press conference as early as Monday.

In a post shared by mate Matt King, who recorded him taking the mark, Wheeler showed evidence he had the ball and said he was happy to return it to Franklin.

The ball has been valued at as much as $200,000 as a memorabilia item, with the club working on a package as a reward which is likely to involve membership and even a separate Sherrin signed by Franklin.

Originally published as AFL 2022: Lance Franklin’s 1000 goal footy returned, security efforts labelled ‘pathetic’ after crowd chaos