The Sydney Swans will be without Lance ‘Buddy’ Franklin for the rest of the season

Sam Hayes.jfif
By:
Sam Hayes
02/08/2023
AFL News, Predictions & Tips
AFL News
Can the Swans make the AFL top 8 without Franklin in 2023?

Two-time Coleman Medal winner Lance ‘Buddy’ Franklin announces AFL retirement

News Insights

  • At the age of 36, Buddy Franklin has hung up his AFL boots.
  • The prolific goal scorer has played 354 AFL games over near 20-year career.
  • A calf strain against Essendon in GW20 brought an early end to stunning career.
  • Sydney now looking to fill his void before end of 2023 AFL campaign.

Few players have been as synonymous with the AFL over the past two decades as Lance ‘Buddy’ Franklin.

Since making his debut for Hawthorn back in 2005, Franklin has banged the goals in consistently in the AFL.

A popular choice with most AFL betting sites for opening the scoring or at least getting on the scoresheet, he will be dearly missed in the AFL.

Diminishing Influence

Whilst the loss of Franklin has certainly shed a few tears, at 36, he has had his worst goal scoring season.

That has not had a direct impact on the struggles for consistency the Sydney Swans have had in the AFL 2023 campaign.

The Sydney Swans are $4.50 with BoomBet to finish in the play offs this season.

Sydney Finding Form?

As the dust settles on Franklin and his stellar career, the Sydney Swans are actually starting to motor.

Winning their last three matches will give them a huge confidence boost and they have some big games between now and the end of the season.

Next up for Sydney is an intriguing encounter against cross-city rivals the GWS Giants.

For all the talk of Sydney this week, Greater Western Sydney are even more in-form having won their last 7 AFL matches.

It should be a belter of an occasion, with Sydney looking up against it at Giants Stadium at $2.02 with Bet365.

Coleman Medal Legacy

Despite the aforementioned fact that Buddy Franklin wasn’t able to show his best form in 2023, his Coleman Medal record is sublime.

A two-time winner, Franklin amassed an incredible goals total of 1066 in his career – winning the Coleman Medal in 2008 and 2013.

Established and new betting sites are all maneuvering in the closing stages of the season in 2023, with the race for the top scorer hotting up.

Currently, Carlton forward Charlie Curnow is the favourite to be crowned the 2023 AFL Coleman Medal winner at $5.25 with PlayUp.