The Sydney Swans are hosting Geelong in an AFL blockbuster but all eyes will be on Lance Franklin as he gears up to kick his 1000th career goal.
Friday night’s round-two game between teams expected to play finals will almost be a sideshow, as the SCG turns into Buddymania.
The Swans superstar needs just four more goals to become just the sixth player to reach the magical milestone.
Franklin added just one goal in the Swans’ opening-round win over cross-town rivals GWS last week, taking his career tally to 996.
But the reality is no one, not even the man himself, wanted Franklin to join the 1000-goal club when the stands at Accor Stadium were not even half-full.
Franklin has called Sydney home since 2014, after signing a monster nine-year deal to join the Swans after a decorated, two-premiership stint at Hawthorn.
Just like Tony Lockett did in the late-1990s, Franklin has single-handedly boosted interest in AFL in the Harbour City.
There are tentative plans for a break of up to 20 minutes if the 35-year-old brings up the mark last achieved in 1996 by Geelong legend Gary Ablett Snr.
Reports emerged this week about the AFL having prepared a long highlights package to celebrate Franklin.
The footage could be played as thousands of fans, as is tradition, storm the ground to commemorate the occasion.
Franklin was at the centre of the AFL’s last crowd invasion back in 2008 when he kicked his 100th goal of the season in the Hawks’ final home-and-away match of the season.
“We just don’t talk about it as much as people in the media talk about it,” Swans coach John Longmire told 3AW.
“If and when it happens, there will be a break for as long as it needs to clear the field.
“It’s a great thrill to have a player in that vicinity…but it will happen when it will happen.
“Over the last couple of years there’s been plenty of things go haywire (with COVID-19) and you get used to dealing with stuff like that.”
With the AFL having moved away from big forwards kicking the bulk of a team’s goals, Franklin’s milestones may never be achieved again.
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