Saving his best until last, his incredible run down the wing and solo effort was remarkable to watch. Powering away from Cale Hooker with skill and athleticism he took three bounces and then with his famous left to right swing somehow slotted through the goal from the boundary.
Some already believe it will be hard to beat for this season’s goal of the year, while others have suggested it was one of the best of all time. I’m not sure I would quite go that far, but one thing I do know from sitting in the stands watching his performance live is that the TV coverage didn’t give it justice!
This was a memorable moment in modern football.
Even his teammates were in awe. Jordan Lewis said “sometimes you just sit back and marvel at what he can do on the field.”
And maybe his party days are behind him too, Lewis went on to say “he’s pretty modest these days Bud… and I think probably early on in his career he liked to celebrate a little bit but not any more.”
Injuries, suspension and match fitness have obviously contributed to his slow start to the season, and in many respects Buddy’s inconsistent year early is a reflection of the Hawks’ season.
But Buddy’s back and so is Hawthorn.
For the first time in a long time the Hawks are extremely close to having a fit and healthy list to choose from too, experienced trio Campbell Brown, Josh Gibson, and ruckman Simon Taylor are all closing in on a return. This is a headache coach Alastair Clarkson hasn’t experienced since the 2008 premiership year and will be a major boost for the Hawks.
With the personnel on the park, Hawthorn is an ominous opponent for any side and I’m sure even Geelong would be slightly nervous about a Hawthorn revival.
The signs are good right across the ground.
The midfield is elite with any number of Sam Mitchell, Brad Sewell, Shaun Burgoyne, Jordan Lewis, Cyril Rioli, Luke Hodge, and Clinton Young rotating through.
The move of Chance Bateman from wingman to tagging midfielder is a good one, Bateman has had trouble controlling his aggression this year and it seemed to give him a bit more of a purpose.
Rick Ladson and Michael Osborne are contributing well, the toughness of youngster Ben Stratton is impressive and Beau Muston is playing his role to perfection as the defensive forward, first on Graham Johncock and then Dustin Fletcher.
Even Hawthorn’s little known ruckman are doing the job. In the absence of Taylor and the retirement of Campbell I always thought it was going to be a tall order for the Hawks against the best big men in the game.
But Renouf and Skipper have teamed up to be a more than reliable duo and now with the imminent return of Taylor the pressure for spots can only be a good thing.
It’s amazing how quickly fortunes can change, the Hawks’ season appeared a write-off six weeks ago, sitting 14th on the AFL ladder with a 1-6 record, and now all of a sudden a spot in the top four isn’t out of the question.
The next month will be crucial.
The Hawks to be tested against a couple of the genuine premiership contenders with games against the Western Bulldogs, Geelong, Brisbane and St Kilda.
How many they can win only time will tell, but one thing that is for sure, if Buddy continues to fire, the Hawks will continue to soar.
Jack Mango
Guest
Why can't the respective skills of both players be admired? Yes, Inglis running in a straight line is no big deal, but what he and team mates had to do to get him in the clear certainly is. Probably, he had to run on to a precisely delivered pass at just the right angle to avoid a couple of 100+ kg defenders. But that Buddy goal was very special. Go the Hawks!
Ben Somerford
Roar Guru
Buddy's mojo is back I guess Justin!!?! It's good to see, good for the game, good for the Hawks, just wish I was there to witness that goal against Essendon. Everyone who was there keeps on talking about it, would've loved to have witnessed those scenes.
Chris
Guest
Glider...you can post anything you like. But I'm willing to bet that you could ask any number of impartial sports fans, or even non sports fans which was the more impressive effort...Inglis running straight down the field with a ball tucked under his arm pushing blokes away all day long or Franklins effort...and 100% of them would rate Franklins in a second. Then they'd ask why it was even a comparison. Sorry, but highlights packages of league, which consist of barely anything but endless trys and a few kick and catch efforts (that have become strangley more frequent inrecent years...why don't they just start kicking and catching the whole time), serve only to demonstrate how boring the game is. AFL fans respect football because it's skillfull and spectactular. Football fans respect AFL for the same reasons. Neither respect league as a spectator sport because it's neither skillfull or spectacular.
Michael C
Guest
that Franklin was too fast for his pursuer does not deny the fact of pursuit. Not sure where you're logic is coming from??? We're celebrating sublime skill not once but twice in the last qtr (about 100th minute and 110 minute of game time), we're celebrating a 6'6" athlete running off his opponents whilst having to skillfully execute bounces (of a sherrin....not a dribble of a spherical (basket) ball), and after running for 50 odd metres having to execute successfully and super skillfully from a very difficult position that whilst on his preferred foot (the left) was the wrong side to make that shot from (natural curve being left to right). Running with the ball stand alone in rugby once you break the line is pretty banal.........it's then just a foot race to the line to ........ wait for it........to fall on the ground!!!!!!
Barking Glider
Guest
He wasn't being chased, he was being followed by opponents who had no hope of getting to him. There was no one between Franklin and the goal. He had free run. Anyway, what are we celebrating here? The 50m run with the ball with no one in front of him, or just the goal kick with his not preferred foot? You lot keep telling us rugby fans that running with the ball is nothing to get excited about. Running wit the ball isn't football anyway.
B.C Queenslander
Guest
Glider, when you eventually get around to watching the footage, you will see that on 2 occasions Buddy was running around the boundary line, not in a straight line, BEING CHASED and kicked goals both times. You will also see him take a mark 50m out, play on and snap a goal. What you wont realise is that he is on the wrong side of the goal for a left footer, thus making it more difficult. These 3 goals would be impressive enough for a right footer from those angles, but for a left footer it is truly remarkable. I watched this game, flicking to the Germany/Serbia game occasionaly. This game was 10x more entertaining than what is supposed to be the pinnacle of the world game. As for Inglis, if he makes the switch, he may or may not make the grade, who knows. One thing that I reckon will come out with these code swappers, is just how hard it is to play AFL. These guys are top tier in rl, they might be found wanting.
Barking Glider
Guest
Except that Buddy had no one chasing him and no one in front of him on his run to the goal. Inglis normally has to fend off three or four opponents between him and the goal who are trying to smash him on his way to the line.
Harvey the Scouser
Roar Guru
Michael C at a time when too much football is not nearly enough (and lovin it), you make a fair point
Michael C
Guest
Funny - with all the code swapping talk, over the last couple of years I've often compared the very similar physical proportions of Franklin vs Inglis. I recall last year in the finals seeing Inglis steaming down the sideline, ball in hand to score a try and the NRL commentators viewed him front-on on the slow-mo replay and 'wet' themselves describing him as a rolls royce............and, he's just running in a straight line and only has to place the ball on the ground at the end of it, whereas degree of difficulty for Buddy, twice within 10 minutes, taking the ball on the wing, running 50-70 metres, bouncing 3 or 4 times and then at the end of that, from on the boundary line - to execute those kicks that he did............there's NOTHING so far that a Greg Inglis could serve up to warrant comparison to that. Am I being harsh?? My point is - - it's good now and then to look within the AFL with an eye to the outside world and remind ourselves that it takes something pretty damned special to pull off these feats.
Kurt
Roar Pro
Can't believe we're still in it after the start we had. Will hopefully have a couple of other teams looking over their shoulders, but as Chris says we've had a pretty good draw over the past 6 weeks. Let's see how we're traveling after another few rounds.
Chris
Guest
As a Hawthorn fan I'm pretty scared of the effect of this break on momentum. I remember them coming back frustratingly sluggish after the break in 2008...and we don't have the buffer of wins this year that we had then. It's not like we've beaten any true contenders in the past 6 weeks either. Footscray will be a different story.