Star forward Lance Franklin will miss Sydney’s Round 9 clash with Fremantle
LANCE Franklin has been ruled out for the Sydney Swans’ home AFL clash with Fremantle, with no sign of when the superstar forward will return. Can the Swans continue to cover his loss?
Sydney
Don't miss out on the headlines from Sydney. Followed categories will be added to My News.
LANCE Franklin’s immediate playing future is once again shrouded in mystery after the star forward was ruled out of Saturday’s clash with Fremantle before Sydney even set foot on the training paddock.
Last week Franklin was given the chance to train and prove his fitness, but his alarming failure to get through that session appears to have resulted in a significant setback, and there are now heightened fears over how much football the enforcer might miss with his bruised heel.
Sydney are struggling with the fact it’s a rare injury for AFL players to suffer and that the only recovery anecdote is complete rest.
TIGER SCARE: ROOS REVEAL BLUEPRINT TO STOP DUSTY
GODDARD COLUMN: BOMBERS’ REALITY CHECK
KICKING CRISIS: SAINTS VIOLATING FOOTY’S FIRST COMMANDMENT
Swans football manager Tom Harley missed six weeks with a similar injury during his playing days at Geelong, although he was also dealing with a hairline fracture.
Franklin’s prognosis is far different given he actually played with the injury for a month before it flared up three weeks ago and forced him into the casualty ward.
Swans coach John Longmire thought he was getting closer to welcoming his most influential player back onto the park, but now admits Franklin’s return date is uncertain.
“We don’t know. As I’ve said every time on a Monday, we just don’t know,” Longmire said.
“We can’t give a definitive answer to that because it’s a bruised heel and they can be quite tricky if you haven’t had one before. You just don’t know how long they can be.
“Last week on the ground, that’s when it got a bit sore so we pulled the pin and he stopped training. We didn’t want to make it worse.”
Franklin’s injury is normally associated with fast bowlers and Australian pace duo Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc have both endured long lay-offs with heel bruising.
The saving grace for Sydney is the fact the team has risen without Franklin and they continue to chalk up crucial wins.
Meanwhile, fellow Swans star Dan Hannebery (groin) is a chance to return this week if he can get through training.
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 >