| Lance Franklin | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Franklin playing for Sydney in 2017 | |||
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Lance Franklin | ||
| Nickname(s) | Buddy | ||
| Date of birth | 30 January 1987 | ||
| Place of birth | Perth, Western Australia | ||
| Original team(s) | Perth (WAFL) | ||
| Draft | No. 5, 2004 national draft | ||
| Debut | Round 1, 2005, Hawthorn vs. Sydney, at the Sydney Cricket Ground | ||
| Height | 199 cm (6 ft 6 in) | ||
| Weight | 105 kg (231 lb) | ||
| Position(s) | Key forward | ||
| Playing career | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 2005–2013 | Hawthorn | 182 (580) | |
| 2014–2023 | Sydney | 172 (486) | |
| Total | 354 (1066) | ||
| Representative team honours | |||
| Years | Team | Games (Goals) | |
| 2008 | Dream Team | 1 (4) | |
| International team honours | |||
| 2013 | Australia | 1 (1) | |
| Career highlights | |||
| |||
| Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com | |||
Lance Franklin (born 30 January 1987), also known as Buddy Franklin, is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played in the Australian Football League (AFL). He played for the Hawthorn Football Club from 2005 to 2013 and the Sydney Swans from 2014 to 2023. Regarded as the greatest forward of his generation and among the greatest players of all time,[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] Franklin kicked 1,066 goals, the fourth-most in VFL/AFL history; he was his club's leading goalkicker on 13 occasions (six for Hawthorn and seven for Sydney) and kicked at least 50 goals in a season 13 times. Franklin was selected in the All-Australian team on eight occasions (three at full forward and five at centre half-forward), including as captain in the 2018 team, and won four Coleman Medals throughout his career, with his biggest haul coming in 2008 with Hawthorn, when he kicked 113 goals.
Franklin won two premierships, four All-Australian selections, two Coleman Medals and a Peter Crimmins Medal in his time at Hawthorn. He was Hawthorn's leading goalkicker for six consecutive seasons prior to his final season at the club in 2013, and also kicked the AFL Goal of the Year on two occasions (in 2010 and 2013). He also received a nomination for the 2005 AFL Rising Star award in round 4 of the 2005 season. After winning his second premiership at Hawthorn in 2013, Franklin moved to Sydney via free agency on a nine-year, $10 million deal, before representing Australia in the 2013 International Rules Series. He won a further four All-Australian selections and two Coleman Medals playing for Sydney, and was the club's leading goalkicker in his first five seasons there. Despite suffering a number of setbacks through injury, Franklin played 354 games, reaching 300 games in 2019 and 1,000 goals in 2022.
- ^ Cordy, Neil (28 May 2014). "Lance Franklin needs one goal for 600 in his career but could kick many more". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
- ^ Clark, Jackson (5 May 2016). "Is Buddy one of the all time greats?". The Roar. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
- ^ Warren, Adrian (3 April 2017). "Lance Franklin should be considered one of the greats, says John Longmire". The Age. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
- ^ Davies, Will (3 April 2017). "Is Buddy Franklin the greatest Aboriginal footballer in history?". National Indigenous Television. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
- ^ Niall, Jake (31 March 2018). "Buddy Franklin underrated? We're serious". The Age. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
- ^ Hinds, Richard (9 April 2018). "The deal seemed preposterous, but the Swans are getting value for money from Buddy Franklin". ABC News. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
- ^ Waterworth, Ben (15 July 2018). "Most AFL goals kicked: Lance Franklin joins 900 club — and could soon join 1000 club". Fox Sports. Retrieved 8 September 2018.