For one of the few times in a career spanning 341 games, “Buddy” Franklin – the biggest name in football – was reduced to a bystander | SMHsport
, Lance Franklin found the Sherrin high up the ground. Within a few seconds, he had his fourth touch, and a fifth. Bronx cheers followed him from Geelong supporters in the stands, a cruel taunt.
In that, he wasn’t alone. Nor was it his fault. The fault was collective, and started further up the field: the final inside-50 count was 65-32, Geelong’s way. Contested possessions were 150-110. In short, the Swans were bullied. It was Franklin’s only possession for the first quarter. His first real look at the ball was a skied kick from Chad Warner which he lost on the descent. Minutes later, a pass by Will Hayward fell short. At that moment, his frustration became visible, as the game began to slip away.
And that – until those two final-quarter touches, and those Bronx cheers – was it, from one of the highest-impact players the game has ever known. It is just as well, earlier this week,This grand final contained no shortage of fairy tales: career denouements for Joel Selwood and Tom Hawkins, among many other ageing Cats, and deliverance for Patrick Dangerfield, who saved one of his greatest performances for the only honour he still craved.
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