Lance Franklin declares he’ll be back to his best in 2020 as he prepares for AFL game 300
Ahead of his 300th game, Swans superstar Lance Franklin says he’ll be back to his barnstorming best next year and is already eyeing further milestones.
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Lance Franklin expects to be back to his brilliant best in 2020 with the star forward already eyeing 350 games at the club where he will finish his career.
The 32-year-old has endured a hugely frustrating injury-hit campaign and featured in just nine of the Swans’ games.
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But he insists he’s fit and raring to go for the season finale against St Kilda at the SCG on Saturday — an occasion which sees Franklin make his milestone 300th appearance and sees the club farewell Kieren Jack and Jarrad McVeigh.
“I’m definitely very proud,” Franklin said.
“To play 300 games, you’ve got to be doing something right.”
And once the curtain comes down on the current campaign, Franklin is determined to give himself the best possible platform to help the club push for a finals berth next year.
The forward admits his lead in to this season was far from ideal as he recovered from groin surgery and had limited time on the track before pulling on the boots for Round 1.
“I’m looking forward to having a little bit of a break but then getting back into a really strong pre-season and hopefully have a really good year next year,” he said.
When asked if there was still plenty left in the tank, Franklin was unequivocal.
“Definitely,” he said.
“Very confident I’ve still got some really good football in front of me and I’ve got no doubt I can get back to my best next year.
“(Missing finals) It’s not a feeling I’m used to. It’s going to be hard watching but I as I said before, we’ve got a young group but we’ve also got a lot of experience here too. I can definitely see us popping back up into finals next year.”
Franklin still has several years to run on his Swans mega deal but then that should be that.
“(I’ve) still got three more years,” he said. “I think that’ll do me after the three years. I’ll be 35 or 36 by then so hopefully get to 350 games would be nice.”
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And although frustrated to miss so much football this year due to hamstring problems, he is quick to praise those who have taken their chance to impress in his absence — including young gun Nick Blakey.
“Me being injured it’s given other guys opportunities to really develop,” he said. “You can probably see that as a positive for the footy club. We’ve seen Nick Blakey, I think he’s played 20 games, Tommy McCartin and other guys pop up and get given opportunities. I think that’s only going to help us next year with their development and then me coming back into the team will obviously help.
“To play 20 odd games in your first year you’ve got to be a pretty special player.
“He’s (Blakey) a special player but he works hard, he trains hard and earns the respect of us older guys.”
Franklin admits he is ‘feeling the love’ ahead of his milestone game but tomorrow is as much about saying ‘thank you’ to McVeigh and Jack.
“There’ll be a lot of emotion around the ground,” Franklin said. “Two unbelievable players for our footy club over a long period of time.
“It’s the leaders we’ve got at the club that drive the standards. That’s why we see the young boys develop so quickly. That’s a real key.
“We’ve still got a lot of good leaders at the footy club and some kids developing their leadership too. It’s an exciting future.”