Sydney skippers tip Buddy Franklin can return to his best in 2020 and push through 1000-goal barrier
Sydney co-captains Luke Parker and Josh Kennedy have backed Lance Franklin to join an illustrious club this year - with only five others in it. But his injury cloud could hurt his chances.
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Sydney co-captains Luke Parker and Josh Kennedy have backed Lance Franklin to this year become only the sixth player in history to push through the 1000-goal barrier, saying the champion forward can get back to his best in 2020.
Franklin is only 56 goals off joining Tony Lockett, Gordon Coventry, Jason Dunstall, Doug Wade and Gary Ablett in the AFL’s elite goalkicking group.
The 33-year-old remains in doubt for Sydney’s Round 1 clash with Adelaide on March 21 after suffering a knee setback late last year. It comes on top of Franklin managing only 10 games last year due to injuries.
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But Parker said Franklin still had plenty of good football left in him, and could still start the season well, despite his latest knee issue.
“I’m sure it won’t take him long to get 56 (goals),” Parker said.
“The good thing is he got a lot of training pre-Christmas under his belt. In previous years, he has probably been injured for most of the pre-season and just got himself right at the end.
“This time he has had a good two-month block of training, so hopefully he can come back as fit as a fiddle.”
Franklin has kicked 56 goals in all but two of his past 13 seasons.
Last year he managed only 27 goals from 10 games in a season in which he never got any continuity, due to his body letting him down.
Asked if he thought Franklin could reach the 1000-goal milestone this season, Kennedy said: “Absolutely he will … that would be an incredible achievement.”
“It has been a privilege to play with him for so long and I’m sure there is still plenty of good football to come.
“I have no doubt in my mind that when he is fit and healthy, he can still do some incredible things. We just want to get him out there and continue to have the front row seats I’ve had for the last six years.”
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Franklin is contracted until the end of the 2022 season. He has kicked 944 goals from his 300 games and if he plays out this current contract – as he insists he will – he could be in line to run down Gary Ablett (1031) and Doug Wade (1057).
Parker said it was a pleasure playing alongside Franklin: “You run out with a bloke like that and you are just in awe of watching a player who I think is one of the greatest – if not the greatest player – to play the game.
“He is a freak. We love him as a teammate and as a leader.”
Sydney coach John Longmire said this week Franklin had been enjoying one of his best pre-season training blocks before suffering his setback just prior to the New Year.
He said Franklin would start running again next week, but stressed the club would be cautious of throwing him into Round 1 without a solid base behind him.
“We’re not sure what it (his recovery) looks like just yet, but we’ll monitor how it goes from next week on,” Longmire said.
THE 1000-GOAL CREW
Goals Player Games
1360 Tony Lockett (St K, Syd) 281
1299 Gordon Coventry (C’wood) 306
1254 Jason Dunstall (Haw) 269
1057 Doug Wade (Geel, NM) 267
1031 Gary Ablett (Haw, Geel) 248
_________________________________________________________________
970 Jack Titus (Rich) 294
944 Lance Franklin (Haw, Syd) 300
Originally published as Sydney skippers tip Buddy Franklin can return to his best in 2020 and push through 1000-goal barrier
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