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Sydney have ruled big-money key forward and last year’s Coleman medallist Lance Franklin out of their first final against Fremantle this week, citing ‘an ongoing mental health condition’.
The Swans released a statement earlier today in which General Manager of Football Tom Harley said the club was doing everything it could to support Franklin.
“Our first priority is looking after Lance’s health,” Harley said.
“Lance has been open with the club about his condition and while we consider it a private medical matter, he is aware he has our full support.
“The timeframe on his return is unclear at this stage. He will certainly miss this week’s match and we will continue to monitor his condition.”
Sydney coach John Longmire said that while shocked, Franklin’s Sydney teammates were supportive of their teammate.
“He’s in the best place for him right now – I’ve spoken to him a few times,” Longmire said in a press conference earlier today.
“It is a very private matter and something you don’t really know too much about.
“We’re not sitting here saying he’ll be back at this date, and I don’t think anyone’s expecting us to say that.
“Put the football to one side. We need to understand and respect this is a challenge for him to deal with every day.”
The Swans have confirmed that Franklin will not play in the club’s first final this week, a Saturday afternoon qualifier against the Fremantle Dockers away from home.
While no confirmation has been made on Franklin’s availability for the remaining weeks of the finals series, it must surely be in doubt.
Franklin has missed four of the Swans’ last seven matches due to a back injury, but this is the first news of the Swan suffering from a mental health condition.
He has played the last two weeks but has been below his best on both occasions, booting just a single goal in each game, well below his season average of 2.8 per game.
The Swans, already facing the difficult prospect of a qualifying final across the country in Perth, have had their task made all the more difficult by a spate of recent injuries.
Last year’s best and fairest winner Luke Parker was ruled out for the year several weeks ago when he suffered an horific ankle injury against Collingwood.
Co-captain Kieren Jack has also been ruled out for the next three weeks due to a medial ligament injury that he suffered in the first quarter of last week’s win over Gold Coast.
The Swans also confirmed that All-Australian small defender Nick Smith won’t play this week after missing in Round 23 due to a hamstring injury.
With Franklin, arguably the Swans’ most important player, now ruled out as well, the Swans go into this week’s final seriously undermanned.
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