Lance Franklin’s 300th game on hold after suffering hamstring injury in win over Hawthorn

Lance Franklin will need to wait to celebrate his 300th career game after injuring his hamstring in Sydney’s win over Hawthorn. The Swans superstar reveals exactly what happened and how long he thinks he’ll be sidelined.

Lance Franklin’s 300th career game is on hold after the superstar forward injured his left hamstring in Sydney’s win over Hawthorn on Friday night.

The star forward was due to reach the milestone next week, when the Swans host the Suns at the SCG.

But the 32-year-old expects to miss at least the next 2-3 weeks after injuring his hamstring for the second time this year.

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“I’ve strained the hammy again,” Franklin told Channel 7 post-game. “It’s disappointing. It’s been a frustrating year.

“Striding out (I felt it) and then a couple of contests in the forward pocket tested it.

“It’ll probably be two weeks, 2-3 weeks.”

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Lance Franklin with ice on his hamstring. Picture: Phil Hillyard

He took no further part in the game. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Franklin will have scans to learn the full extent of the injury.

If he’s sidelined for the next three weeks, Franklin will miss matches against Gold Coast, Essendon and Carlton.

That would put his 300th game against Fremantle in Perth in Round 18. The Swans take on the ladder-leading Cats at the SCG the week after, on July 28.

Sydney coach John Longmire is unsure how long he’ll be without his superstar forward.

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“It is what it is. We’ll have to get it scanned and looked at but it’s obviously going to be a few weeks,” he said.

“It’s hard to know. I can’t see where it (the injury) is, if it’s in the same spot. It’s impossible to know at the moment.

“He said it feels like it’s in a different spot but we don’t know, there’s no point speculating until we actually have a look at it and find out.”

Franklin suffered the injury late in the third quarter, pulling up short as he attempted to make a lead inside 50.

Franklin hugs former coach Alastair Clarkson after the game. Picture: Phil Hillyard

He immediately came from the field and had ice applied to his hamstring. He took no further part in the game.

Franklin had been stuck on the bench for “about eight minutes” before suffering the injury soon after returning to the field.

Longmire was frustrated Franklin was off the ground for so long but stopped short of blaming his extended time on the bench for the injury.

“We couldn’t get anyone off,” Longmire said

“You can’t get a runner out there. We want him on, believe me, we wanted him on but when there is a long time in play before a goal is kicked you can’t actually get (anyone) off now.

“Players are watching it, young players are watching it, maybe we could have looked over our shoulder and got off. We were trying to call out from the bench but you can’t actually do anything.

“Whether that contributed or not, no one will ever know.”

Franklin was one of Sydney’s best in the win, booting four goals.