Ross Lyon urged Sydney coach Paul Roos to sign Lance Franklin 20 years ago

When Lance Franklin kicked eight goals in a practice match before his AFL debut the Swans were urged to go after him.

: Lance Franklin of the Swans is chaired off the field after playing his 350th game . (Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)

The Sydney Swans have benefited from the magic of superstar Lance Franklin for the best part of a decade since he joined the club from Hawthorn in 2014.

But they could have had the superstar goalkicker for even longer if not for premiership coach Paul Roos knocking back a push from Ross Lyon to go after him ten years earlier.

Franklin booted two goals for the Swans against St Kilda on Thursday night and moved into outright fourth on the AFL/VFL all-time goals list in his 350th game.

But it wasn’t enough to beat the Saints and post-match Lyon, now coaching St Kilda, revealed he suggested Sydney recruit Franklin 20 years ago when he was scouting for them, but was knocked back by then-Swans coach Roos.

Lance Franklin in his 350th game. Photo by Phil Hillyard

A poor performance against the Swans when Franklin was at Hawthorn dissuaded Roos who thought Franklin, a certain AFL Hall of Famer who could even be a legend once his career is finished, was only “OK”.

“I thought Bud, or Lance I should call him, I don’t really know him. I thought he was significant and then we got on top of their team and nullified him to a point so from our end that was pleasing,” Lyon said.

“That threat never goes, does it, that threat of Lance erupting, he’s done it (so many times), he’s a very, very special player.

“Will we ever see anything like him again? I’m not sure. I remember watching him at a practice match before he’d really played (AFL), he kicked eight against Port Adelaide when I was scouting for the Swans and I said ‘This Franklin is handy and Roosy was like ‘Nah he’s OK’.

“Then he didn’t do much against us and (Roos) said ‘See I told you’. But he went on to be a superstar, hasn’t he.”

Franklin, now 36 and likely in his final season, joined the Swans after nine years and two premierships at Hawthorn.

On Thursday night he went past Doug Wade (1057) and now sits outright fourth behind Jason Dunstall (1254), Gordon Coventry (1299) and Tony Lockett (1360).