The ‘bulls*** excuses’ behind Buddy Franklin’s GWS Giants betrayal

The first player agent to uncover the AFL’s best-kept secret — Lance Franklin’s betrayal of the GWS Giants — has spilled the beans.

It was the trade bombshell that rocked the AFL to its core.

At the end of the 2013 season, the football world expected Lance Franklin to take his talents to New South Wales and join AFL expansion side GWS on a monster deal that would put the expansion club on the map.

But they were only half right.

READ THE FULL INVESTIGATION ON CODE SPORTS

Buddy did head north but in a move still seen as one of the wildest in AFL history, he had secretly agreed to sign with Sydney on a massive nine-year deal worth $10m.

Lance Franklin being farewelled at the SCG in 2023. Picture: Jonathan Ng

The beauty of the deal was that only a handful of people knew what was really happening – and they all ensured the secret never slipped out.

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But through the Code Sports Dealmaker series, it can now be revealed that a series of ‘bullsh** excuses’ did tip one rival player manager off and he ensured his client cashed in.

Prominent player manager Anthony McConville cracked the case through a process of elimination.

He had been working away on what should have been a regular contract for Sydney’s reigning premiership ruckman Shane Mumford.

But every time McConville tried to sit down with the Swans’ general manager of football Dean Moore, all he received was the player manager’s version of a ‘don’t argue’ rebuff.

“I knew Dean (Moore) wasn’t keen to do a deal,” McConville told Code Sports as part of its Dealmakers Series.

Lance Franklin with teammates in the rooms after kicking his 1000th AFL career goal in 2022. Picture: Phil Hillyard

“I was ringing him every second week and he would make up every bulls*** excuse under the sun. He was giving me the stiff arm.

“I knew mid-season something was going on. I was doing the numbers. I knew exactly what Mummy was earning. I knew there was nearly $2m (the Swans) were banking.

“I said to a couple of close confidants, ‘Don’t be surprised if there is a backflip here … don’t be surprised if he (Franklin) ends up in Sydney.”

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McConville was right and Buddy’s move meant the Giants now had a wheelbarrow full of cash to splash and Mumford got his slice.

He joined the Giants on a three-year-deal and went on to play 116 games with the club.

Read the full story in the Code Sports Dealmakers series here >

Originally published as The ‘bulls*** excuses’ behind Buddy Franklin’s GWS Giants betrayal