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Swans manager reveals big changes could be in store for Buddy Franklin as the superstar is set to become the AFL’s oldest player this season
- Swans won’t put all their hopes on Buddy Franklin this season
- At 36, the key veteran striker will be the oldest player in the AFL.
- Manager John Longmire wants other players to step up for Sydney
Sydney Swans manager John Longmire has revealed that Lance ‘Buddy’ Franklin is likely to have a very different role on the pitch this season.
At 36, Franklin is officially the oldest player in the AFL, and 2023 is shaping up to be his last campaign kicking Sherrin.
The key champion striker, who scored his 1,000th career goal against eventual Premiers Geelong early last season in unforgettable scenes at the SCG, is more likely to be an impact option in the coming months.
Longmire said Franklin won’t be trusted to win games for the Bloods with his famous left foot.
“I would have thought it was a good sign for our football club,” he told the Sydney Morning Herald.
‘Lance shouldn’t have to be a stellar performance every year, particularly in [his age] 35, 36.
Swans manager John Longmire has revealed that Lance ‘Buddy’ Franklin is likely to have a different role on the pitch this season.
2023 is set to be Buddy’s final season in the AFL, and he has indicated he wants to spend more time with his family (pictured is wife Jesinta Franklin)
The glamorous couple got married in November 2016 and have two children together.
“I clearly think that’s an unrealistic expectation.”
There is a school of thought in some football circles that Franklin is past his prime.
He was ineffective in the grand final against Geelong last September, kicking just two goals in the final series.
But another 50-plus goal season comeback, which he achieved in 2021 and 2022, will please Longmire and his teammates.
The Swans begin their quest for premiership glory on the road against the Gold Coast Suns on March 18.
They are sixth in line for flag honors at a juicy $10, behind Geelong ($5.50), Melbourne ($7), Richmond ($8), Brisbane ($8.50) and Carlton ($9 ,fifty).