Lance ‘Buddy’ Franklin kicks his 1000th goal as the Swans play Geelong

Buddy Franklin kicked off scenes of absolute pandemonium at the SCG on Friday night as he kicked his 1,000th goal in the AFL. 

The Sydney Swans and Hawthorn great became only the sixth player in the history of the VFL/AFL to hit the milestone when he kicked true 18 minutes into the final term.

He was instantly swamped by fans as his teammates tried to form a protective ring around him, lost in a sea of hands filming the occasion on their phones.

Swans diehards had no trouble swamping the field despite the fact dozens of security guards were stationed around the boundary fence.

An aerial shot showed almost all of the playing surface completely covered by overjoyed fans, who showed no signs of returning to their seats several minutes after the ball sailed through the posts. 

Prior to Franklin, only Tony Lockett (1360), Gordon Coventry (1299), Jason Dunstall (1254), Doug Wade (1057) and Gary Ablett senior (1031) had reached that summit. 

Franklin roars after kicking his 997th goal just before the end of the first quarter against Geelong at the SCG on Friday night

Franklin had four goals left to reach the mark after the round one game against GWS, and he notched major 997 on the stroke of quarter time.

He kicked goal 998 in the 18th minute of the third quarter, with his 999th coming 10 minutes later, before he was taken off for a short breather eight minutes into the final term.  

The 35-year-old has been a consistently prolific goalscorer ever since he made his AFL debut as a 17-year-old.

Now in his 18th year in professional football, Franklin has led his clubs’ goal charts in 12 separate seasons – six times for Hawthorn and six times for the Swans. 

In half of his 16 completed seasons he’s kicked over 50 goals and he kicked a mammoth 113 goals in the 2008 season.

The Swans faithful leap to their feet after Buddy’s 997th goal. The Swans and Hawks champion is only the sixth player in the history of the VFL/AFL to kick 1000

 Franklin kicked his historic 1,000th AFL goal in his 18th season in professional football

He’s booted nine goals on three separate occasions and has passed the double-digit mark in a single game twice, with his personal best coming when he kicked 13 against North Melbourne in 2013.   

Franklin’s off days have been few and far between. An eight-time All Australian, including once as captain, Franklin is a four-time Coleman medallist and won the premiership twice with the Hawks. 

His longevity has been almost as remarkable as his goalscoring record. Aside from missing the 2020 season through injury, the Western Australia native has never played fewer than 10 games in a season. 

Despite the cascade of individual accolades, opponents have often hailed Franklin as the ultimate team player.

The Swans great has led the Swans’ goalscoring charts in six different seasons

Franklin kicked two goals in the third quarter to move ever closer to his target

‘The thing you don’t notice or doesn’t get talked about with Buddy is how good a teammate he is,’ Port’s fullback Tom Jonas said.

‘He is always bringing his other forwards into it. He’s really supportive of them […] brings them into the game, communicates really strongly with them.

‘He is not just a one-man band.’

Jonas has lined up against Franklin several times and admits he was taken aback by the Swans star’s presence.

‘You’re always pretty nervous,’ he said.

Franklin’s historic landmark sparked jubilant scenes among Swans fans at the SCG

Franklin is a four-time Coleman medallist and has won one premiership with Hawthorn and another with the Sydney Swans

‘He cuts a serious figure. He has got an aura and a presence around him on the field […] he has that strut and the chest puffed out.’

The feelings are echoed by Richmond defender Dylan Grimes.  

‘He has got the full package of ability,’ he said. ‘He’s the hardest player I have ever played on because he’s got that speed, endurance and is an amazing finisher.

‘He doesn’t need much of a chance to really damage a game, he’ll take it every time.’

‘He is almost impossible to plan for,’ Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley told AAP.

‘He has got such a kit, the bag of stuff that he can do and draw on is so big and so wide and so exciting.

‘You sit there trying to control and do your absolute best, but knowing the talent […] is very, very hard to stop.

‘You hope he has an off day because his on days are unstoppable […] just too good.’