Lance Franklin, Australian footballer
Lance Franklin (born 30 January 1987), also known as Buddy Franklin, is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Sydney Swans in the Australian Football League (AFL). He previously played for the Hawthorn Football Club from 2005 to 2013. Regarded as the greatest forward of his generation and among the greatest players of all time, Franklin has kicked 1,000 goals, the most of any current player and the sixth-most in VFL/AFL history, and has been his clubs' leading goalkicker on twelve occasions (six for Hawthorn and six for Sydney), kicking at least 50 goals in each of those seasons. He has been selected in the All-Australian team on eight occasions (three at full forward and five at centre half-forward), including as captain in the 2018 team, and has won four Coleman Medals throughout his career, with his biggest haul coming in 2008 with Hawthorn, when he kicked 113 goals.
Franklin won two premierships, four All-Australian selections, two Coleman Medals and a Peter Crimmins Medal in his time at Hawthorn. He was Hawthorn's leading goalkicker for six consecutive seasons prior to his final season at the club in 2013, and also kicked the AFL Goal of the Year on two occasions (in 2010 and 2013). He also received a nomination for the 2005 AFL Rising Star award in round 4 of the 2005 season. After winning his second premiership at Hawthorn in 2013, Franklin moved to Sydney via free agency on a nine-year, $10 million deal, before representing Australia in the 2013 International Rules Series. He has won a further four All-Australian selections and two Coleman Medals playing for Sydney, and was the club's leading goalkicker in his first five seasons there. Despite suffering a number of setbacks through injury, Franklin has played 320 games, reaching 300 games in 2019 and 1,000 goals in 2022.