Lance Franklin to miss AFL Gather Round with knee injury

Sydney will be short of personnel at both ends of the ground in its crucial round 5 match as a knee injury rules out Buddy Franklin.

Lance Franklin was goalless against Port Adelaide, with the Swans revealing on Tuesday he suffered a knock to the knee. Picture: Brendon Thorne / Getty Images

Sydney is scrambling for replacements at both ends of the ground ahead of its Gather Round fixture, with Lance Franklin ruled out due to a knee injury.

The star forward will join the concussed McCartin brothers on the sidelines, leaving the Swans to fill three key position posts for its crucial clash against Richmond on Friday night in Adelaide.

Franklin hurt his knee in the final quarter of the Swans’ two-point loss to Port Adelaide and was absent from the track at the start of this week, while Paddy and Tom McCartin are both in the AFL’s concussion protocols and will certainly miss round 5.

Lance Franklin will miss at least one match after he was unable to train with knee soreness from a knock against Port Adelaide. Picture: Brendon Thorne / Getty Images

“Lance completed the game against Port Adelaide but suffered a knock to the knee in the last quarter,” Sydney head physio Damian Raper said.

“He has been unable to train this week due to his knee soreness and will not play against Richmond this weekend.”

Raper said Paddy McCartin still had “residual” concussion symptoms following the concerning head knock which left him unable to stand without assistance from trainers, but the Swans thought he was taking positive steps in his recovery.

“Paddy is doing well in the early stages of his recovery. He still has some residual symptoms which are not unexpected,” he said.

“He will be monitored closely in accordance with the AFL’s HIA protocols.”

Paddy McCartin was unsteady on his feet following a distressing incident early in the game against Port Adelaide. Picture: Brendon Thorne / Getty Images

Sydney confirmed Tom McCartin would also miss the match under the protocols but was “doing well”.

Experienced Geelong defender Jed Bews will also miss his side’s Gather Round clash due to concussion, despite returning to the field less than 15 minutes after a heavy head clash with Hawk Conor Nash on Easter Monday.

Bews appeared dazed after he collided with Nash midway through the second quarter, but re-entered play about six minutes later, only to be substituted at halftime and seen on the broadcast leaving the ground.

Geelong coach Chris Scott said the 29-year-old was reassessed at halftime and deemed to have been concussed.

“It seemed as if he wasn’t too bad, but just as halftime wore on, his symptoms got a bit worse, was my understanding,” Scott said.

Nash also returned to the field during the second quarter and played out the match, as Geelong won by 82 points at the MCG.