Outgoing Sydney Swans chief Andrew Ireland defends Lance Franklin at the Sydney Swans

Lance Franklin joined Sydney on a mega nine-year deal but is yet to win a premiership. Some think that means he hasn’t been a success in red and white. But don’t tell Andrew Ireland that. HAVE YOUR SAY

Lance Franklin shocked many by joining Sydney and not the GWS Giants. Picture. Phil Hillyard

Outgoing Sydney chief Andrew Ireland has rubbished any suggestion Lance Franklin’s move to the Swans has been a bust.

Ireland, who is walking away from the Swans after 17 years with the club, helped orchestrate Franklin’s famous move north at the end of 2013.

Since then the Swans have failed to achieve premiership glory, falling in the 2014 and 2016 grand finals.

GET EXCITED? EIGHT REASONS SWANS CAN FLY HIGH

MIDFIELD MINUTES: GAZZA SET FOR NEW ROLE

With the trophy cabinet at the SCG remaining untouched since the arrival of ‘Buddy’, some have questioned the Swans’ wisdom in dishing out a nine-year, $10 million deal to land the champion goalkicker.

But Ireland hit back at those critics.

“I have heard a couple of people say it but I think it is lazy journalism and an easy headline,” Ireland told the Swans’ website.

Lance Franklin has been a star for the Swans but hasn’t won a premiership in Sydney ... yet. Picture: Colleen Petch

Matthew Richardson booted 800 AFL goals across 282 matches for Richmond.

“Does that mean that Matthew Richardson’s whole career was a failure at Richmond? Should Richmond never have recruited him?

“There are a vast number of players who have joined clubs and no one player is ever going to be the difference between winning a premiership or not.”

Franklin, who has booted 337 goals from 108 matches at the Swans, joined the Swans immediately after playing in a flag with the Hawks.

His decision shocked the football industry, with much of the speculation in 2013 linking the then-free agent to GWS.

But Ireland said he had been confident throughout Franklin’s final season at the Hawks.

“I probably thought we had him for the best part of eight or nine months, but I didn’t know,” Ireland said.

“The reality is that you cannot do a deal, because in the end whatever we offered Lance then Hawthorn could have matched ... I don’t think he seriously considered anywhere else.”

“In talking to his manager, he had never been directed in that regard (to join the Giants),” Ireland said.

“The Giants made an approach to Pickers (manager Liam Pickering) maybe four or five months after we had already started discussions, so I think they were always late to the party and he was never going there.

“The AFL might have wanted him to, but I am sure they hadn’t entered any discussion to say that is where he should go.”