Mike Fitzpatrick’s plan has finally paid off.

In the year in which Lance Franklin’s salary tops out at exactly $1.5 million, the AFL’s desire to hobble Sydney for securing the best player in football looks to have been well executed.

Franklin tops the Herald Sun’s 2021 Rich List ahead of four-time All-Australian Jeremy McGovern and Richmond sensation Dustin Martin.

All those who mocked Sydney’s $10 million, nine-year deal for Franklin have egg on their face.

He is still footy’s most captivating figure, still drags in thousands to fill the SCG, and still gives the Swans massive presence in one of the world’s most competitive sporting markets.

Sydney would have hoped to have secured a premiership in Franklin’s time, but fell short despite his four goals in the 2014 Grand Final and banged-up one-goal haul in the 2016 decider.

THE RIDICULOUS TRADE BAN

But, arguably the greater handbrake on the club’s flag aspirations, has been the league’s decision to institute a trade ban on the Swans in 2014, then phase out the club’s cost of living allowance.

Former AFL chairman Fitzpatrick’s actions came after he was blindsided by Sydney’s shock acquisition of the Hawks free agent ahead of expansion side GWS at the end of 2013.

Former Sydney chairman Richard Colless described the AFL’s actions in Michael Warner’s book, The Boys’ Club, as a diabolical over-reaction after Fitzpatrick’s abusive phone call following Franklin’s decision.

“It was done vindictively, it was done brutally. And the trade ban, as far as I am concerned, is the greatest act of bastardry that I have ever observed or experienced in my time in football,” Colless said.

So what has it meant for the Swans to absorb Franklin’s salary, which steadily built over the years to reach $1.3 million in 2019, $1.4 million last year and exactly $1.5 million this year?

Without the extra COLA money it banked, Sydney’s cap has been so tight it has had to make dramatic decisions which have affected the quality of its list.

DEALS THAT FELL THROUGH

Joe Daniher’s decision to move to Sydney in late 2019 looked a coup for the club’s culture and lifestyle, but the deal fell through as Tom Papley stayed, despite his own trade request.

The following year with Sydney factoring in Papley’s salary it couldn’t even hope to offer Daniher a deal, as he flew north to Brisbane.

When the club scouted Eagles ruckman Tom Hickey, this year one of footy’s best recruits, it was forced to trade Aliir Aliir to clear cap space.

There have also been ‘own goals’ – Kurt Tippett’s costly acquisition – orchestrated the year before the Franklin move – backfired as his body let him down and the club was saddled with his exorbitant salary.

THE SYDNEY FACTOR

Former AFL list guru Chris Pelchen said the unique Sydney market meant the Swans had little choice but to chase Franklin at all costs in late 2013, even though it was always going to have a negative flow-on impact in terms of their list balance.

“I understand why Sydney pursued Buddy … essentially they are in the most unique market in Australia,” Pelchen said.

“Sydney is all about winners, and while every city wants their team to be successful, it is not a traditional AFL state which means they have always chased the rock star recruit.”

Pelchen said the Swans’ lopsided salary cap was always going to cut deep in the back end of Franklin’s lengthy deal.

“They needed to pay over market value to attract Buddy to the city. It was always going to have some risk associated with it at the back end of his contract,” he said.

“It is extremely difficult (to balance). It is not just a case of one guy being on $1.5 million, essentially three times the average earning. It is also about not being able to offer a premium to either attract other recruits or to retain players (over the course of the deal).

“It limits your ability to find an extra $50,000, $100,000 or $150,000 to keep players who have been sought by opposition clubs like Tom Mitchell or Aliir Aliir.

“It also stops you from paying a premium for players to actually come and join the club.”

He said Franklin’s on-field revival in 2021 and his ability to overcome the injuries that wrecked his previous two seasons had been an unexpected bonus for the club.

THE NEXT ROCK STAR

As Sydney navigates the rocky path it has still not secured club great and free agent Luke Parker on a new deal.

He will remain at the club and yet the tight cap has delayed the kind of substantive offer he would surely have agreed to many months ago.

Pelchen said the Swans’ next priority – other than chasing a marquee replacement for Franklin – had to be locking away Isaac Heeney and Callum Mills on longer term contracts.

The pair come out of their current deals at the end of 2022 and 2023 respectively.

“Heeney and Mills are the midfield stars of the future,” he said. “We know what Parker is capable of … (Tom) Papley is a beauty.”

“But what Sydney will really want is to find the next rock star forward.”