Leigh Matthews says Sydney Swans star Lance Franklin is the best player of his time
THE man widely regarded as the greatest to ever play Australian rules football has declared Lance Franklin the best footballer of his time. Is Leigh Matthews right? HAVE YOUR SAY
AFL News
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
THE man widely regarded as the greatest to ever play Australian rules football has declared Lance Franklin the best footballer of his time.
Leigh Matthews, the Hawthorn champion and four-time premiership-winning coach said that across Franklin’s 14-year span in the game, he has presented a better package than any of his peers.
Franklin needs just 34 more goals this season to eclipse Matthews (915) as the eighth-highest goalkicker in the history of the AFL, having just become only the second player after Tony Lockett to kick 300 plus goals at two different clubs.
GIANT MISTAKE? NEW BOMBER BLITZING TO AFL RECORD
ADAM COONEY: THE SILENT ROCKET THAT CUT ME TO CORE
Matthews is lauded as football’s immortal and since the turn of the century he has rated the contributions of stars like Nick Riewoldt and Jonathan Brown.
But as Franklin gears up to lead the Swans into battle for Marn Grook at the SCG on Friday night, Matthews has paid Sydney’s inspirational front man the ultimate compliment.
“Nick Riewoldt was an outstanding running, key position forward. Jonathan Brown was outstanding in different manners. But as a total package … in his time span … if you talk about most valuable players there’s been no more valuable player of his generation (than Franklin),” Matthews told The Daily Telegraph.
“He’s been a super talent and a super player.
“When I think of Buddy I just think of the enormous physical qualities that he’s got. Obviously he’s got the height. But it’s not so much that he’s this really powerful overhead mark. It’s that he’s got this fantastic running capacity and skill level of a guy who is not as tall as he is.
“I think of the physical package.”
Matthews said “how long is a piece of string?” when asked what Franklin’s goalscoring tally might be by the time his mega deal at the Swans expires in four-and-a-half years’ time.
Swans coach John Longmire believes Franklin is a special player who, like Matthews, has all the attributes of a future AFL coach.
Not that Longmire is looking that far down the track, but he believes Franklin has evolved into an active mentor at the Swans that goes beyond his own contribution in the forward line.
Franklin is often misinterpreted as a freakish natural talent who tries to escape the game when he’s not on the field.
But Longmire says the opposite is true and Franklin is a coach in the making.
“He could (coach). Who knows what he does post-football,” he said.
“He’s got a great understanding of the game. People probably don’t realise if you don’t know Lance that well, that he’s actually a real footy head. He watches a lot of it.
“When you ask questions of him or speak about the game he knows about the game. He can also smell talent.
“Especially when he’s playing with some of the young kids we’ve got in our team, he loves doing that. He’s got a real eye for talent, a real eye for the game.”
Longmire said Franklin’s goalkicking feats will go down as legendary.
“It’s pretty significant. It’s (300 goals at two clubs) one of those things you probably don’t realise until he’s finished up, and you look back and reflect on what he’s able to do and still continues to do,” he said.
“(When you’re in the middle of it) you don’t really appreciate how big an achievement that is.”
Matthews said time would tell whether Franklin, 31, is able to maintain his same lethal ability to hit the scoreboard into his mid-30s.
LIVE stream every match of every round of the 2018 Toyota AFL Premiership Season on FOX SPORTS. Get your free 2-week trial & start watching in minutes. SIGN UP NOW >