But for a 10-goal outburst by the Sydney Swans’ Lance Franklin in the final game of the home-and-away season of the Toyota AFL Premiership competitionagainst the Carlton Blues, the 2017 Coleman Medal for the most goals kicked in a season would have gone to Josh Kennedy of the West Coast Eagles.
Perhaps if the two side should meet along the way to the 2017 premiership, Kennedy can ask Franklin two things. “Is your leg sore then, Josh?” Along with, “Did you pay off the Blues to pretend you were not on the ground?”
Sixty-nine goals is by far not the most Franklin has kicked in a season. It did give him his fourth Coleman Medal. He won in 2014 with two fewer, 67, with 71 in 2011 and 102 in 2008.
Franklin trailed Kennedy by four, 63 – 59 going into the final game, but the Adelaide Crows looks as though Franklin had paid them to shut Kennedy down, holding him to one goal in the last game of the season.
When we are given to musings and ponderings, which we reluctantly admit is quite often, we find ourselves speculating whether or not Franklin would trade a few Coleman Medals for a couple of premierships.
All of this is to lead us into the topic of what the Essendon Bombers must be thinking as they head into their elimination final with the Swans on September 9.
Franklin has played against the Dons 14 times in 13 seasons of AFL play. He has booted 64 against them, averaging 4.57, which is a far cry from 10, but it is still the sort of figure that gives footy coaches nightmares during the night and headaches during the day.
Franklin comes close to that sort of strike rate only against the Blues, the Tigers and the North Melbourne Kangaroos.
