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Never has one man, in such a short time, been so responsible for the demise of one club.
That’s what we are led to believe if you listen to some of the disgruntled coat-tuggers on why the Sydney Swans have begun the season with a pair of disappointing losses.
Single-handedly Lance Franklin has turned a top-four team into a side incapable of playing September football; a side out the window with bookmakers when framing premiership markets.
Buddy this, Buddy that. We have heard all kinds of things.
He’s getting too much money and it’s created a rift among his teammates, he was never going to fit into the much-vaunted Swans culture, he was involved in a fight with Ryan O’Keefe at training, he lent his car to teammate Dan Hannebery who crashed it and my personal favourite – he’s at the beach, but not with his girlfriend!
The apparent instability the recruitment and subsequent arrival of Franklin has had on the Sydney Swans Football Club is truly remarkable if we believe everything we hear or read.
Here are a couple of things I’ve noticed in the first two games of the life with Buddy for the Swans.
Firstly, he’s trying to do all the things the Swans like. All the little things. As leaders and coaches have said throughout the years: “We just need everyone playing their role.”
Buddy is trying to do the team things, and that’s what he was doing on Saturday night, back inside the defensive 50m trying to help get the ball out. Alas, his slick low handpass was dropped, the ball turned over and Collingwood kicked a goal.
Buddy, do the one percenters, do the team things, but don’t change who you are. You are the most dynamic, potent forward in the game, that’s what Swans fans and your team need to see in Sydney.
You were brought here to either kick goals, or be a foil for your fellow forwards so they can kick goals. You will only get more frustrated going back in defence to get the ball. And when you do, who’s up forward to kick it to? Not you!
The Swans have enough defenders, let them do their job, Let the midfielders start running both ways, which has been lacking in the first two rounds, and then you can do your stuff.
The crowd lit up one time in particular on Saturday, when Franklin wheeled onto his left and let rip from outside 50m, and it sailed through. That’s what they want, not seeing him back in defence helping out.
Secondly, it’s all well and good for me to want Buddy to be the Hawthorn version, but the supply of ball into the forward line has not been the standard he’s used to, or the standard the Swans are capable of.
They are off, for whatever reason, but I doubt it’s because the midfielders are worrying about Buddy’s bank balance.
I’ve heard coach John Longmire and his predecessor Paul Roos speak many times after poor performances, and the message has been the same as it was after Saturday’s loss.
They need everyone playing to their potential, and when they don’t get that, they can struggle. As Longmire said after the loss to Collingwood, “We’ve got to make sure we play the footy we want to play.”
Right now, there are quite a few Swans playing below their best, it’s not just Buddy, and clearly they aren’t playing the football that Longmire and the supporters want them to play.
Is there a reason why they have slid from the penultimate game of 2013 to where they are now?
Well, they have lost Jude Bolton out of their midfield. And while you may say he was past his best and not the vital cog of several years ago, when young Swans saw a veteran like Jude throwing his body into contests all over the ground, with no consideration of pain or injury, they would have felt inspired and obligated to do likewise.
Shane Mumford is another loss, but that’s footy. They have to move on, and they have the cattle to do so.
It’s not like this is unfamiliar territory for the Swans. Back in 2006 they started 0-2, but righted the ship to come within one point of West Coast on grand final day.
And how many times have we heard how the players have gathered for a truth session to get things sorted and back on track? Perhaps one is scheduled for this week.
They could easily win four of their next five, although Fremantle at the SCG will be tough, and be sitting at 4-3 when they host the premiers at ANZ in Round 8.
They could also be 2-5 or 1-6 unless they rectify the glitches in their form right now.
For Swans fans, it’s not time to panic just yet, but I’m sure it would be nice not to avoid the water cooler on a Monday morning.
As for Buddy, two games into that mega-million dollar, 50-year contract or whatever it was, Longmire put it simply, and best.
“He’ll get better.”
Hopefully his teammates will too.
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