As a Swans supporter of 76 years and kicking, I feel that I have earned my right to counter the pessimism of the doomsayers in relation to big Buddy Franklin.
As you might well expect, it has happened before.
In the early 1930s a grocery chain magnate name Archie Crofts from Western Australia resolved to take the Swans to the top.
He did this in spades by buying players and up to a point he was successful, with the Swans playing off for four successive premierships.
Sadly the Swans won only one – in 1933 – when I was just 18 months old. I don’t remember it all that well.
Two of the players Crofts recruited would be by any objective assessment among the best AFL players ever.
Bob Pratt was a goalkicker extraordinaire who managed 150 goals in a season, which is still a record.
Laurie Nash was the other, and possibly the best player ever to lace on a boot.
Laurie who was not short on chutzpah, and had no doubts who was the best player ever. He simply looked into the mirror when shaving.
Nash also bowled as a fast bowler in the 1930s, playing two Test matches against South Africa and England respectively.
In his second Test Nash was recalled with the series locked at two-all in the 1936/37 Ashes series.
At the Melbourne Cricket Ground Nash claimed 4/70 and 1/34, helping Australia claim a 3-2 series win. They don’t make them like ‘Nashie’ anymore.
The Swans of that era also had Austin ‘Ocker’ Robertson, a world sprint champion. It truly was a team of star athletes.
So now we have Buddy Franklin, hailing from Western Australia – shades of Archie Crofts – and Kurt Tippett the big goalkicker from Queensland.
They boys from the past had egos equally as large as those today.
The difference? Pure physical size. The men of today are at least six or seven inches taller than yesterday’s men.
I will echo the thoughts of all Swans supporters – let us hope that Buddy and Tippett can deal us one or two more flags. It will be a fun ride.
But, all in all, remember that neither Pratt nor Nash were plaster saints before casting doubts on today’s stars.
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