Lance Franklin’s change of heart from Parramatta to Bondi is a small one distance-wise considering how big this country is. In sporting terms, however, the switch has major ramifications for the city of Sydney.
While everyone guessed the right city as his destination, the move to the Swans rather than GWS was kept a secret until Tuesday morning.
Personal reasons such as romance and lifestyle choices have been given, but I think the lure of playing for a team that could potentially win a premiership next year may have been a tipping point.
GWS Giants will be competitive in a couple of years, but until then will be a wasteland for someone who is as addicted to success as the former Hawk.
Sydney deserve plaudits for claiming a quality player for the second year running, but it will set off a huge backlash against the club and its salary cap allowance.
Its $1 million allowance for ‘cost-of-living’ issues in the New South Wales capital will come under scrutiny, with many accusing it of being a ‘slush fund’ to poach.
Questions will be asked how a $900,000 forward and a $1.4 million-a-year forward can fit under the salary cap without the allowance being used to fund the purchase.
The Swans will rightly point out that the long-serving and well-paid Jude Bolton and Martin Mattner have retired, while ruckmen Shane Mumford and Jessie White want out.
The Melbourne clubs will rightly point out that those players need to be replaced at a cost as well.
If the anger directed at the Kurt Tippett deal was bad, the acquisition of Franklin will see a great amount of vitriol directed at the SCG boys.
The ramifications, however, extend beyond AFL into the Sydney sporting scene.
Football will be the least affected, but the Alessandro Del Piero-led Sydney FC has another star sportsman to compete against for attention.
In an already saturated market, it will force them to promote the hell of out their superstar Italian signing to keep pace.
Rugby league and rugby union will also be cringing at the sight of a Bondi-based Buddy.
League has another battle to fight in its war with the AFL at a time when the NRL is suffering from poor crowds and bad press.
The ARU, however, will be the ones dreading the arrival of Franklin the most.
Andrew Webster of the Sydney Morning Herald wrote in August about the influence of Franklin on the three amigos in Quade Cooper, James O’Connor and Kurtley Beale.
“In the eyes of some rugby officials, Melbourne had become their code’s own version of Vegas,” he wrote.
“That is where the Three Amigos transform into the self-named ‘Bungy Brothers’ and hook up with Franklin. For some time, the ARU has been concerned about the influence of Franklin on some of their players.”
With Cooper and O’Connor in Sydney regularly for union matches and Beale signed to the Waratahs, the ARU will have nightmares trying to keep these notorious troublemakers on the right path with Franklin permanently in town.
When Franklin hits town, expect a lot of attention from various areas of the sporting world.
His move will be scrutinised by many as the Buddy Franklin aura grows larger by the minute in Sin City.
AxeMaster
Guest
Look, the fact is that Buddy is now on the downward curve of his career. I watched his AFL highlights the other day and his prime was 2007 to 2011. That was 2 years ago now. He was marking overhead, kicking a lot of great goals and a real influence on the outcome of games. Fast forward to 2014, he can hardly mark at all..even chest marks he struggles with. His body mass / muscle definition, especially around his arm's has actually diminished, he's developed a small beer gut and skinny chicken legs have become more prominent, lost penetration and accuracy in his goal kicking and just take a look at his overall performances. Since he kicked those 13 goals against North Melbourne in 2012...he has pretty much been an average contributor for Hawthorn....and that includes the games before that 13 goal effort. Just look at the Grand Final when he was chasing a dockers player who had the ball, up the wing. He got bumped beautifully by ,I think it was Hayden Ballantyne, the look on Franklins' face was priceless. He looked so pathetic it was embarrassing. It was such a weak effort. The Swans are stupid for offering such an overly bloated deal for this guy. In a few years time, people will be referring to this disaster as Titanic II. No disrespect to the passengers on the Titanic of course.
Felix
Guest
The Swans play the Giants on Easter weekend every year which was the deal with the RAS to get Southern NSW people to come to the Easter Shows. The Swans are notoriously slow starters so a chance for GCS to get a win away from home...Makes sense..
Gyfox
Guest
I couldn't believe all the publicity Buddy generated in Sydney in the big NRL Grand Final week. If the non-AFL people hadn't heard of him before, those who read the sports pages now do!
Tony
Guest
Holding the ball with your hands is very much an Aussie thing. Just listen to the crowds at an AFL game calling "Holding the ball" ;-)
Liam
Roar Rookie
Interesting about QLD, the Darling Downs AFL league has more teams, players ( juniors + seniors ) than the entire WA Rugby League comp, which according to many RL fans is the next cab off the rank for expansion, because of the strength of the game there. 2010 the Lions averaged 30,000 2012 ........................... 20 343 2013 21,082 When they are expected to be a strong finals threat, expect to move back up to 30,000
Stewie
Guest
In his defence, Patton's done nothing because of injury. Lots of it.
Nomad
Guest
If you hit a Gilbert or Summit at the right angle the torp is a maginificent thing....
Nomad
Guest
You keep quoting an article in the Sydney Herald which was written by the Business soccer journo trying to get more soccer grounds so in fact the complete opposite of what you said. Gus Gould keeps on saying it concerns him local grounds have AFL posts.. Councils love the AFL because they provide money for upkeep unlike soccer and RL who sometimes default on their rentals..
Nomad
Guest
Your attempt at humour or irony deserve a score The Big O - You got it...
Nomad
Guest
Brisbane AFL crowds are still 20K or so and were 35K at the peak. The monopoly Broncos RL team drew in the low 20s often although last year they were around 30K so the Lions are doing OK. The reds ow playing 7 home games draw in the high 20s at leat. So perhap Brisbane people can enjoy more than one code. Expect a Qld response that many Brisbane RL people hate the Broncos. If someone knows the number of adult AFL players in Sydney for example that would dwarf the number of RL players in melbourne.
Nomad
Guest
Titus is just angry he was nt born or maybe live in Europe where other codes dont get a look in..
Nomad
Guest
The Tel has good AFL coverage and bags RL. AFL was hard to find in the herald until recently and full of negative AFL stories. I work in the media and keep coverage of this. Funny I have others on this site complaing of AFL bias in the media and now they dont know who Franklin is. You cant have it both ways...
c
Guest
kennoth then it is about time you put a heap of these Sherrins on some sailing ships and distribute them around the world so that the kids get the opportunity
chris
Guest
SBW League,Folau Union,Buddy AFL,Del Piero Soccer just big names in an over saturated Football market and if you don't believe me just look at the crowds for all 4 codes in Sydney i.e. small.
andrew daniels
Guest
To me this isn't about wich city is better,lets just look at the fact =Buddy played 9 seasons with Hawthorn when at his prime for a good price,now Sydney have got him for a very expensive price past his prime and he has only played 4 or 5 good games in his last 3 years I think hawthorn a the winners out of all this.
Floyd Calhoun
Guest
Cameron Smith joined the Storm as an unknown junior from QLD. Is that your point?
Liam
Roar Rookie
LOL, Well said Kenneth, it appears that the SCG also love quirky, they have extended the SCG so it is just now 5 metres shorter and narrower than the MCG. Quirky seems to pay, particuarly in relation to membership, crowds, sponsors etc.
kennoth
Guest
...one thing always forgotten in these code war debates. When kids get one taste of the Sherrin sweet spot they will never go back. You cannot kick a ball like you can kick a Sherrin. End of Story !!
simmo green
Guest
Belief is a fine virtue, but you only need examine the progress of South Melbourne in Sydney to understand why the game largely remains a quirky, periodically interesting pastime. Sydney membership is largely made up of ex-pats and crowds tend to be inflated courtesy of SCG members, who would otherwise have little sport to attend
SVB
Guest
The difference being that apart from the Southern States of Australia, this Franklin guy is a nobody. Del Piero is known all across the planet. How are you going to get a nobody to attract people?