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Buddy Succumbs to Calf Injury

Lance "Buddy" Franklin (file photo)

After being subbed out of the Saturday game against Essendon in Round 20 with a calf injury, Lance "Buddy" Franklin decided to retire. He will not see out the season. It ends several weeks of speculation as to whether or not he would play on in 2024. Scans the next day revealed a six to eight week injury so it was doubtful that he would play again this year even if the Swans do get to the finals. Franklin, 36, leaves with a record of 354 games and 1066 goals to his name. He is only the sixth player in league history to kick over 1000 goals. He sits fourth in the standing for goals.

Drafted by Hawthorn in 2004, he played 182 games and kicked 580 goals for the Hawks and was a member of the 2008 and 2013 premiership teams. At the end of 2013, he said he wanted to move to Sydney, and it was expected that the newest club - GWS - would get him. When GWS dropped their interest, the Swans swooped and gave him a ten year contract worth $10 million. He played 172 games and kicked 486 goals for the Swans.

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Swans Still in the Race

Parker Kicks (file photo)

The Sydney Swans kept their finals flame flickering with a victory over the Fremantle Dockers at Optus Stadium. The game was won by their stronger bodied midfielders setting up a four goal lead in the first quarter, which the Dockers couldn't to bridge. The Dockers fielded with the most inexperienced team in the competition, with only five players who have played more than 100 games. In total games played, the Sydney team had more than two thousand more games of experience and it was their experienced players who did what needed to be done to keep the Dockers from getting back into the game.

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Swans Down Dees Despite Buddy's Zero Goal Return

Swans fans show colors (File photo)

It was the first time crowds were able to be at an MCG final in three years and over 77,000 rolled into this Friday night's 2nd Qualifying Final. At the end of the home and away season both teams finished on 16 wins, with just 2.7% between them on the Premiership ladder. But if there was anything to indicate how this might go, the Swans came into this match having won their last six home and away matches, while Melbourne lost to both Collingwood and the Bulldogs in that time.  

Last season's Premiers, Melbourne, won the toss and kicked to the city end. On their home turf they would be eager to try to put the Swans out of contention early. So it looked in the first quarter. The Demons looked the best coming out of the blocks but breaking the early run of play, the first goal went to Hayward when ball, long to the square, spilled free and Hayward snapped the goal. Bailey Fritsch showed he was ready to fire when he cut off a pass to Gawn, and his set shot from 40 meters out from goal leveled the scores.

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Sydney Hall Of Fame

Franklin vs Alex Rance

Just ahead of Round 12, the Sydney Swans held their Hall of Fame dinner. The event was held in Melbourne for the first time in a decade. The club added four new inductees and elevated eight others to Champion status. This a new category, being introduced this year to recognize those with outstanding achievements and who have made significant contributions to the club, but who may not yet qualify for Legend due to a lack of games played.

The four new inductees were Daryn Cresswell, Peter Reville, Arthur Hiskins and Tom Bushell. Elevated were Tony Lockett, Roy Cazaly, Laurie Nash, Barry Round, Greg Williams, Gerard Healy, Michael O’Loughlin and Brett Kirk.

The Inductees

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Port Steals Victory from Brave Blues

Robbie Gray (File: 2017)

Port Adelaide’s Robbie Gray sensationally kicked the game winning goal after the final siren to snatch victory from a gallant Carlton in Brisbane on Sunday afternoon. With a three-point deficit and time ticking down, Gray marked on a tight angle 40 meters out from goal with the final siren blaring before taking his kick. Having missed a much simpler attempt just minutes before (as did two of his teammates in Charlie Dixon and Kane Farrell), Gray showed no sign of nerves as he split the center with a magnificent drop punt to seal the 64-61 win and strengthen the Power’s grip on top spot of the AFL ladder. 

The fact that Carlton led into the final minute of the game seemed most unlikely in the early going as Port notched the first three goals of the game with some early midfield dominance. Carlton hit back through some Eddie Betts magic who helped Michael Gibbons register the Blues first goal. That was followed by another from second year star Sam Walsh, en route to one of his most notable performances for some time. Jacob Weitering was holding down the fort in Carlton’s defense while Port appeared less organized in their usually well-structured back six, allowing the Blues to score through multiple turnovers which led to a one-point Carlton lead at quarter time.

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AFL Getting International Attention

American Mason Cox at a Ruck Contest

Before and during the opening round of the AFL, footy was getting attention internationally. This was due to the AFL continuing to play while so many other sports were on hold. Links to the various articles are below. While some make only brief references to footy, others are more in depth with stories about more American fans discovering footy with games played despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Articles often included brief outlines of the rules. Several journalists have already become fans and will continue to watch when the league recommences. Some of the articles have fan or Twitter comments, or video clips.

During the televised broadcast of the game between Melbourne and West Coast, commentator Gerard Healy asked if someone could explain for American viewers why it is only a point when the ball hits the goal post but no point when it hits the behind post. One of his colleagues said it was just the rules and that is how it had always been. (Click on "Read more >" to see the links.)

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Rance Retirement Shock

Rance Tackles Buddy

Just a week before the Christmas holiday, ace Tiger defender Alex Rance - some say the best defender of the past decade - announced his immediate retirement. It came as a shock after he missed the entire 2019 season due to a ruptured ACL in the season opener. Rance was hopeful of returning late in the 2019 season to play in the Grand Final and was event training for two weeks prior, but eventually decided he was not ready.

He said in a statement that he felt the time was right so he could "... put the same time and energy into other areas of my life that need it, and to prioritize the more important things to me, such as my spiritual growth (a devout Jehovah's Witness), my family and friends.”

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AFANA AFL Power Poll - Round 6

ANZAC Day Banner 2019. Kim Densham for AFANA.

An extended round six kicked off with the unusual Wednesday night game that saw Richmond victorious by 43 points over the struggling Melbourne Demons. The Anzac Day battle between Collingwood and Essendon was a classic that ended with the Magpies hanging on to win by four points in controversial circumstances as the Bombers fell just short of pulling off a great comeback. Brisbane, Port Adelaide, Fremantle and the Giants took care of business as expected while Carlton almost pulled off back to back victories before succumbing by just five points to a frantic Hawthorn down in Tasmania.

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AFANA AFL Power Poll - Round 5

Carlton Gets Win #1

It’s a short turnaround with the Easter round just complete and the Anzac round starting on Wednesday night. This gives us little time to roll through the AFANA AFL Power Poll so this one will be short and sweet!

Round four once again gave us a fair share of upsets, with both Western Australian teams heavily featured. At Optus Stadium in Perth, premiership favorites the West Coast Eagles were given a wet weather football lesson by Port Adelaide in a 42-point Power victory, while the Fremantle Dockers shocked the Greater Western Sydney Giants in Canberra with a sensational 24 point win.

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AFANA AFL Power Poll - Round 4

The big movers on the AFANA AFL Power Poll this week were the Tigers and the Saints up four places each, while the Adelaide Crows fell four spots after a disastrous loss to the previously winless Kangaroos. Other notable happenings over another topsy-turvy round of footy were the Demons notching their first win for the season up in Sydney, while the previously unbeaten Cats were ambushed late by an impressive Giants outfit despite losing Callan Ward to a nasty knee injury in the first quarter.

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