It was Goran Ivanišević, the 2001 winner of the men’s singles championship at Wimbledon, who often referred to himself as two people in one – the good Goran and the bad Goran.
As a wildcard entry at the All-England Club in 2001 – the only player to have claimed the title as such – the good Goran was ever-present with his booming left-handed serve used to great effect to defeat Aussie Pat Rafter in the final.
Sydney Swan’s full-forward and talisman Buddy Franklin’s major weapon is also on his left side.
If it is calibrated on Saturday he will likely become just the third man in history to win a premiership in successive years with two different clubs.
Sydney rolled the dice at the end of last season and splashed out a record amount to secure Franklin’s services on a nine-year deal.
This Saturday ‘Buddy’ has the chance to repay the club’s faith in his maiden season in the red-and-white.
Fresh from finishing tied for second place with Gary Ablett in this year’s Brownlow Medal count on Monday, Franklin will go into the season decider carrying the most focus of any of the 44 players on centre stage.
He has the ability to win the game off his own boot, but history indicates that he also has the potential to make life tough for his own team.
Franklin has talent to burn: the stunning running shot from the boundary line, the booming set shot from 60m, the strong pack mark.
However goal front accuracy has not always been one of his strong suits.
Through 203 matches he has averaged 3.2 goals per game.
In the same period he has averaged 2.3 behinds to give him a career conversion rate of 58.7 per cent.
It is not exactly a stellar figure.
Franklin often plays up the ground where his penetrative kicking can put enormous pressure on opposition defences.
Despite him pushing up the ground this season he still managed to win the Coleman Medal for the third time with a home-and-away tally of 67 goals.
Just how John Longmire utilises Buddy’s abundant talents on Saturday will be one of the more intriguing aspects of the game.
There is no doubting the potency and goal scoring capability of the Swan’s forward line.
It was certainly on display in the preliminary final demolition of the Kangaroos last weekend when Sydney amassed 19.22.136 – its highest score in a final in the club’s history.
It was the Swans’ tall timber that did the bulk of the damage with Franklin (five goals), Kurt Tippett (four) and Adam Goodes (three) tormenting the North Melbourne defence.
If Franklin primarily plays close to goal it is hard not to see him having at least six shots on goal – he kicked 3.3 against Fremantle in the qualifying final and 5.2 against the Roos.
Just how well he converts those opportunities may well determine the outcome of the match.
On paper it would appear that Sydney is more capable of causing a blowout given its scoring arsenal.
However, in all likelihood it will be a close-run affair.
That makes it even more crucial from a Sydney point of view that Franklin is on song kicking wise.
If he converts well it will make it very tough for the Hawks but Alistair Clarkson and his charges will be all too aware of Buddy’s foibles at times in front of goal.
In no way is Franklin the only man who could determine the outcome of the 2104 premiership but he has within him the proven ability to singlehandedly dismantle an opponent.
He will have no better venue than the MCG this Saturday to once again display that fact.
Declan McAllister
Guest
should their be more teams.
Brent
Guest
Forget about Buddy, Gibson can't stop him, he will embarrass Lake up the ground. Put Stratton on him and just cut your losses then load up on Tippett (who only scabs goals at the top of the goal square these days), Reid and Goodes. Buddy will have the same scoring impact whoever play on him, if you can restrict the other and tighten up on Parker when he goes forward the Hawks might be able to keep them under 100, if they do they'll win
Ross Slater
Guest
It was Franklin's inaccuracy (3.4) and Rougheads 0.3 that cost Hawthorn the 2012 premiership but this is rarely if ever mentioned.
johno
Guest
If I remember correctly (and I googled it to be sure .... so I do) it was the "third Goran" that got Ivanisevic over the line at Wimbledon in 2001. This was the calm and relaxed Goran who came during the critical times in the set and told him to enjoy the moment. Is there a third Buddy who'll come to him as he lines up to kick the winning goal after the siren and just tell him that no matter what happens he should just appreciate the moment?
mcmanpp
Guest
Jim, I didn't express myself properly: what I meant to say was "IF the Hawks are fit enough and able to transition faster than the Swans." Last week's physically tough game against Port would've been good preparation for the intensity of the GF, but equally may well become a factor against the Hawks' endurance as the game rolls on if play is sustained close encounter stuff with lots of contested marks and bruising mauls and tackles. But in relation to what you say about bombing the ball in, can I make 2 points: firstly, at times the pressure on the kicker and equally the pressure by defenders on the receiver can mean the kick is errant in direction or the receiver can't make the ground cleanly to mark it. But, secondly, at other times I've noticed the Swans will play a tactic of kicking into the forward 50 at speed no matter what; the aim being to somehow bring it to ground and/or play it out of bounds in the pockets and reset for the throw-in. They may do this for an entire quarter; it may look sloppy but the object is to get the ball there by air for ground play when it lands. Whatever the outcome of that tactic for a quarter or so - remember, the Swans strategise a game over 4 quarters - once the opposition have adjusted their set up to counter these bombs into the forward lines, the Swans switch tactics to possession football, short kicks, multiple handpasses, gut-running forward into spaces to set up for the final kick into a position 30-40m from goal. It's first time, one touch, with every team member knowing what he's doing and where he needs to be. These strategies have been building all season: can't wait to see them play out on the day.
Olivia Watts
Roar Guru
This will sound like heresy coming from a Swans girl but, if we have to rely on one player to win - even an acknowledged champion such as Franklin - then we deserve to lose. Fortunately for us, the Bloods Culture demands that everyone is the potential game winner, ready to step up and seize the moment through a score, a tackle or simply an inspirational one percenter. Hawthorn also has gifted star players but, like Sydney, relies more on strong team work rate and unity to succeed. Franklin could kick ten or 0.10. That's just how the man plays. He does well far more often than he does poorly and that is why he is a champion, but even the greatest players have ineffective days. The real decider of this game will be the two Smiths, Stratton, Parker, Duryea, Cunningham, Suckling, Jetta, Lewis, Rohan - the supposed blue collar battlers who might not be superstars but will give every drop they have to give and then find more. I believe Sydney will win this game not because of or even despite Franklin, but because our list of players who don't know how to concede defeat is, to my biased and hopeful eyes, deeper, fresher and less sore than their Hawk counterparts.. Only 51 hours to go .............
spruce moose
Guest
Swish!
Jim
Guest
"The Hawks fitness and ability to transition from attack to defence faster than the Swans can slingshot into the forward lines will play a big part, And before that, another big part will be played by the Hawk rucks and midfield to cut off the supply to Buddy or stifle and prevent the Swans from swift and clean entries into the 50. " I still think, if the swans can move the ball cleanly, that their slingshot style footy will really worry the Hawks, especially late in the game where it becomes as much about gut running than anything else. What the swans must do is be clever about their ball use going forward - if there aren't the targets there, don't just bomb it forward and hope - if need be just keep possession and work an opening up. As you say though, every position will count, and it'll surely be a close one. Neither team has glaring weaknesses, and both have great forward lines, engine rooms packed with talent and stingy defences. All points to another classic.
Glenn Mitchell
Expert
Gosh, you exaggerate Franko .... it's only 90 years ;-))
Winston
Guest
But I assume Longmire will react exactly the same way he did in the Dockers game. Start normally with Tippett in goalsquare and Buddy at CHF. If things don't work, move Tippett into the ruck, put Buddy onto the wing or something, and swap them with Jack, Hannebery, Parker, McVeigh etc you name it. In the Roos game Swans didn't even have to go to Plan B at any stage because Plan A already slaughtered them.
Jack Smith
Roar Guru
Indeed. They both have very good player match-ups.
Jack Smith
Roar Guru
Indeed. They both have very good player match-ups.
Jack Smith
Roar Guru
Oops, think Editors missed that one
mcmanpp
Guest
Glenn, I expect the Hawks will say: we can't shut Buddy down completely, our aim is to restrict his goal tally; Buddy will be 2 or 3 manned whenever the ball comes in to him, as well as being pressured and restricted for space on his left side. If things get serious, the Hawks may even camp their resting ruckman in defence. Otherwise, their focus will be to score quickly and heavily and put scoreboard as well as physical pressure on the Swans forward line. (How are the Hawks for sledging when Buddy misses a shot? Will they get in his head? This will be the ultimate test of how much Buddy has benefited and improved from this "The Buddy Franklin Story - Chapter Two: Sydney" part of his career.) The Hawks fitness and ability to transition from attack to defence faster than the Swans can slingshot into the forward lines will play a big part, And before that, another big part will be played by the Hawk rucks and midfield to cut off the supply to Buddy or stifle and prevent the Swans from swift and clean entries into the 50. In fact, when you look at how talented these two teams are and how they stack up against each other, every position will be played as if under a microscope.
Franko
Guest
"In no way is Franklin the only man who could determine the outcome of the 2104 premiership" Agreed, he'll leave a legacy but 100 years? Nah he's not that great.