Through his culture, dedication and skill, the quiet former Sydney Swans forward crafted himself into one of the AFL’s best athletesOn Lance Franklin’s right forearm, you’ll find a tattooed portrait of his mum, Ursula. Just below the shoulder, his dad, Lance Sr. The artwork provides a rare glimpse into the soul of football’s private superstar. Buddy was born into football royalty – Ursula, a Whadjuk-Noongar woman, is a Kickett.An exceptionally talented footballing family, the Kicketts exhilarated crowds across the country. According to Franklin’s uncle, Larry Kickett, Noongar footballers’ success is built on 50,000 years of life, culture and work: “It’s not too hard for us to pick up a football and kick the thing.” Noongar players make up one-third of...
A paragon of preternatural talent and preparation, the Hawthorn and Sydney great was pure theatre on a fieldLance Franklin quietly announced his retirement on Monday, a few weeks shy of the end of his 19th year in the league. His retirement one of the few things in football he seemed unable to control.Nevertheless, he handled it with class and in good grace. Franklin is not a passive-aggressive nurser of hurts, nor is he one to seek outside affirmation. He is a footballer with nothing to prove, having achieved nearly every football accolade that matters. And more than that, on the field he was theatre. Continue reading...
There’s no need to bemoan a sport gone soft, just reflect on what it means to an Indigenous footballerRichmond supporters will be waiting for Tom Stewart on Friday night. It’s been coming for nine months. He’ll be booed as vociferously as a footballer can be these days. He’s fair game, apparently. He’s a magnificent footballer and a big boy. He rearranged Dion Prestia’s face, and now it’s payback time. “Good, clean fandom,” broadcaster Gerard Whateley called it this week.But what happened at the MCG last Sunday was more complicated than good, clean fandom. It was a particularly spiteful beginning to the Magpies v Swans game and the Collingwood crowd was riled up. At first, the booing of Lance Franklin seemed...
The Swans star cements his place in the annals of AFL history amid wild scenes that, like his 1,000-goal mark, are unlikely to be seen againI’ll never forget the first time I saw Lance Franklin play football. Hawthorn was playing at the MCG and I was there under extreme sufferance. The Hawks were unspeakably bad that year. My eyes were glazing over when this beanpole of a second gamer suddenly swooped on a loose ball, shoved Brent Hartigan aside, gathered it one handed, and threaded a left foot goal from the forward pocket. It all happened in a tick over two seconds. He waltzed in and out of the stoppage like he owned the sport, like the MCG was his...