Lance Franklin undergoes knee surgery, in doubt for Round 1

Lance Franklin returned to Sydney pre-season as fit as he’d been in years. But knee surgery threatens his 2020 campaign - just when it looked like the superstar was ready to rediscover his brilliant best.

Buddy’s injury is bad news for the Swans. Picture: Getty Images

Superstar Lance Franklin is in danger of missing the start of the 2020 season after undergoing pre-season knee surgery.

The four-time Coleman Medallist had an arthroscope on his knee this week after experiencing discomfort in the Swans’ break over the New Year, and is set to be sidelined for the next 10 weeks.

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It is a significant setback for both the Swans and Franklin, who returned to training early fit and firing in November following an injury-riddled 2019 campaign and leaves him in major doubt for Round 1 on March 21.

Lance Franklin returned to training in fantastic knick in November. Picture. Phil Hillyard

Swans head of football Charlie Gardiner said the minor surgery was deemed the best course of action.

“We weighed it up and felt that it was best for Lance to have a clean-up now, so he underwent an arthroscope on Monday,” Gardiner said.

“We may have been able to manage the knee through the year, but we’re hopeful that this will mean Lance can have an uninterrupted season.

“He has had a similar clean-up on his right knee in the past, so there are no long-term concerns.”

Collingwood premiership star and Herald Sun columnist Mick McGuane backed Franklin’s pre-Christmas foundation work would hold him and the Swans in good shape.

“I don’t think it will impact too much,” McGuane said.

“They would’ve done a lot of their forward symmetry work (before Christmas) with young Nick Blakey, Tom Papley and probably Isaac Heeney.

“The negative out of it is going into the practice matches before the season proper, not only from a team standpoint but an individual standpoint on the back of only playing 10 games last year.

“If he’s had a solid foundation I don’t think it will be too much of a concern.”

Buddy’s injury is bad news for the Swans. Picture: Getty Images

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Franklin has 72 days to get right for the Swans’ Round 1 assignment at the Adelaide Oval.

It is however highly unlikely the club would risk the champion forward, who battled repeat hamstring issues last season.

Franklin, who turns 33 at the end of January, managed just 10 matches last year, returning in Round 23 for the milestone appearance.

He has three seasons to run on his landmark nine-year deal worth an estimated $10m.

The Swans would not divulge the full extent of Franklin’s injury.

It usually takes about six weeks for the knee joint to recover from a regulation arthroscope but tissue damage would result in a longer lay-off.

Gardiner said the Swans expect Franklin to resume full training in about 10 weeks.

“He remains a chance to play in round one, but we clearly can’t make that call until closer to the date,” Gardiner said.

“On the positive side, Lance has been able to build a solid base over the pre-season as he had been training extremely well to date, so we expect that will assist in his recovery.”

Franklin needs 56 more goals to become the sixth player in history to kick 1000 majors.

The goalkicker was looming as a promising SuperCoach prospect at a bargain basement price of $394.2k until the setback.

He joins Tom Papley, Callum Sinclair, Sam Naismith, Harry Cunningham, Sam Gray, Colin O’Riordan and Jack Maibaum on the Swans’ injury list.

Originally published as Lance Franklin undergoes knee surgery, in doubt for Round 1