Lance Buddy Franklin reveals how he’d like to be remembered ahead of AFL game 350 with Sydney Swans

One of the AFL’s greatest ever forwards, Lance ‘Buddy’ Franklin, is playing his 350th game this weekend and the superstar Swan has revealed how he would like to be remembered when he finally says goodbye.

The 36-year-old will line up for Sydney when they take on St Kilda in the SCG for the huge milestone, 6647 days after making his debut for Hawthorn as a scrawny teenager in 2005.

Hailing from Western Australia, the Indigenous superstar will go down as one of the best First Nations players the game has ever seen, alongside one of the best forwards of all time.

His resume is by far the most glittering of any current player, highlighting the wizardly way he has transfixed the footy world thanks to his thumping left boot and remarkable athleticism.

Two premierships, eight All Australian blazers, four Coleman Medals, 13 times leading club goalkeeper and a best and fairest winner in a premiership year. Twice he won Goal of the Year for efforts most players could only dream of.

But it’s not those achievements for which he wants to be remembered.

One of the more humble and gentle figures off the field, Franklin wants to be remembered for two very simple things when he finally retires.

“[As]someone who had a crack… and was just having fun,” he told Swans staff in a video that will be the only interview he gives ahead of his landmark game.

“That’s been the most important thing on my journey, that I’ve kept things pretty simple and I think the key has obviously been that fun part.”

“That’s probably why I’ve stuck with it for so long, because I keep it simple, go out with a smile on my face and just enjoy it.

“Whether that’s working out, whether that’s lifting weights, Pilates, just having fun and building strong relationships with everyone here.”

It is remarkable that a 199cm, 102kg key forward plays so many games and remains almost completely free of serious injury, even in the era of sports medicine and high-performance training expertise.

Franklin admits that there’s a bit of “luck” involved and some “good genetics,” but that’s incredible self-deprecation from someone who’s kicked over 1,500 goals.

His career has been so long and successful that he has outlived eight Australian Prime Ministers, 1020 other players and 76 AFL head coaches. Teammate Corey Wagner was just 18 months old when Franklin made his debut.

“It’s a lot of games,” Franklin joked.

“It’s something I’m very proud of, there’s no doubt about that. To get to 350 games in AFL football is a huge achievement.”

But Franklin admitted there’s one thing in particular he finds difficult about playing in the AFL now at age 36.

Despite remaining relatively free of the ongoing problems that plague most veterans, the Swans star was managed in some games by coach John Longmire and held back by trainee staff.

The question for Sydney’s staff is not how to play in every AFL game, but which games to play in to give the Swans the best chance of team success.

And that can be very frustrating for someone who has rarely missed time in a storied AFL career.

“You can’t do what you did when you first started. You can’t do every training session, which is pretty tough for me,” Franklin admitted.

‘You want to be able to do everything. Once you get a little older, you have to manage yourself, to make sure you’re right to go to game day.

‘That can sometimes be difficult mentally, because everyone wants to train as much as possible.

“But when you get to my age, you have to fend for yourself the best you can and do all the right things to make sure you can get out.”

While most milestone men would run through the banner holding their kids, the infamous soldier Franklin won’t do the same.

The Swans superstar married model Jesinta Campbell (now Franklin) in 2016 and the couple have two children, Rocky and Tallulah.

But Jesinta will instead be watching from the stands with the kids and their myriad family and friends as ‘Buddy’ runs through the banner at the SCG – just as they did when fans poured onto the pitch after his 1,000th goal last year.

It is also a crucial game for the Swans.

Last year’s Grand Finalists are 12th on the ladder after a slow start to the year.

The fifth-placed Saints present a tough challenge as their form is harder to grasp than a feather in a storm.

But you just know that Franklin is ready and excited to get back to doing what he does best: scoring goals and winning football games.