Sydney superstar Lance Franklin intent on reaching 300-game milestone this season after injury-riddled run

Lance Franklin is desperate to play his 300th game before the end of the season, with Sydney club great Kieren Jack expected to soon announce his retirement.

Kieren Jack’s retirement from the AFL appears imminent but mystery surrounds whether Lance Franklin will feature at a final round Sydney Swans’ farewell party.

Swans great Jude Bolton says he would put Franklin “on ice” for the rest of the season, but despite the logic behind that thinking, the superstar forward is desperate to return and chalk up his 300-game milestone in a fortnight’s time at the SCG.

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Sydney coach John Longmire insists the Franklin 300 fairytale will not come into his thinking when he decides next week whether it’s worth bringing his injury-hampered star back for a round 23 match that has no real relevance outside of sentimentality.

There will be plenty of romanticism floating around the SCG in any case, with Jarrad McVeigh pushing hard to be fit for a farewell game, and fellow premiership-winning all-time club great Jack also poised to join him in announcing his retirement before the final round.

But the Swans approach to managing Franklin this year has been all about a safety first attitude, making it difficult for Sydney to justify playing the showstopping forward for any reason other than it might be better for him not to carry his 300th through another long off-season.

“I would almost put him on ice, but I spoke to him during the week and he’s back at training,” Bolton said on Channel 7.

“I wouldn’t risk him (but) he may play the final round.”

Lance Franklin is pushing to play his 300th game this year. Picture. Phil Hillyard

Swans coach John Longmire chats to veteran Kieren Jack. Picture: Matt King/Getty Images.

Longmire denied that the 300th was driving Franklin, or would influence the club in picking their final round team.

“It doesn’t interest me what people are saying or speculating. It doesn’t have any bearing on what we do internally,” said Longmire.

“We talk to our medical and conditioning staff as we always have through this period and he’ll be doing what he is required to do this week and we’ll see how he goes next week.

“It’s just whether he’s right to get back and play. The milestone is significant for him and to be able to do it is great, but when you’ve had a couple of hamstring (injuries) and you’ve only played nine games all year, it’s making sure he’s physically right … If that’s not next week, it’s not.”

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Jack’s retirement has yet to be confirmed, but it seems certain he will join fellow greats McVeigh and Grundy by announcing he will bring down the curtain on his stellar career as early as this week.

When asked about Jack’s future after Saturday’s loss to Port Adelaide, Longmire said of his availability: “Between now and the end of the year, he still is, yeah.”

Jack has been in and out of the team, playing a selfless role in helping the Swans next generation develop in the seconds. Longmire was tight-lipped when asked about the 32-year-old yesterday.

“We’re not looking into next year just at the moment, we’re looking into this week,” he said.

“It gets down to whether he can help us win. This week or next week. That’s as far as we’re looking at the moment.”

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McVeigh will have to prove some level of fitness to earn his farewell game, given he is coming back from a calf injury. But as Hawthorn confirmed they would give club legend Jarryd Roughead, it seems the Swans are also gearing for a final round party.

“(Farewell games) are more about the situation and the time, the players’ situation, and all that has to be weighed up rather than just a general rule over you should or you shouldn’t,” he said.