Swans star Buddy Franklin has joined the AFL’s most elite club in an achievement that may never be matched again.
Buddy Franklin has become just the sixth player in AFL history to score 1000 Premiership goals, booting four to send Sydney into chaos.
It was absolute pandemonium as the Swans star achieved the result in front of his home crowd.
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While no one seemed to care about the score as much as the epic milestone, the Swans were great in a result commentator James Brayshaw called “clinical”.
Franklin joins Tony Lockett, Gordon Coventry, Jason Dunstall, Doug Wade and Garry Ablett in the 1000 goal club.
It’s an achievement that may never again be matched as the next closest current player is Jack Riewoldt on 716 goals and has some way to go.
With 13 minutes to go, the crowd went up together in a boo as Franklin was given a breather.
After three minutes of chanting for him to get back out there, he came back on with just under 10 minutes to go.
But with six and a half minutes left, Franklin marked 30m out and booted the goal sparking wild scenes as the stands emptied.
The discussion had been about if the crowd would flood the ground to celebrate with Franklin and security began to make more of a presence as the night went on.
Even AFL boss Gillon McLachlan said it “wouldn’t be the worst” if fans flooded the field on AFL360, despite warnings from the AFL and NSW Police of heavy fines.
“Well, officially, you shouldn’t run on the ground, but … it would be a good look, wouldn’t it?” McLachlan said.
“Exactly (be good), leave (the players) alone. I can’t endorse it, but it wouldn’t be the worst.
“It’s just a big deal to have 1000 goals. Who knows if it happens again?”
Franklin kicked his first in the first quarter, before adding two more in the third quarter to leave the AFL on tenterhooks as to whether he would kick the milestone goal.
And he would not disappoint his home fans.
“I’m not sure how many were here the night that Plugger broke the record but it does seem to me there’s a lot more on the ground than when that took place. Such a hero this guy is up here in Sydney,” Brian Taylor said.
James Brayshaw said: “I’ve never seen scenes like this at a sporting event anywhere.”
The reaction was swift as the sports world lost it for the magic moment.
The Age’s sports editor Russell Bennett wrote: “History, and I dare say the last time anyone kicks his 1000th VFL/AFL goal. We are all witnesses to absurd greatness.”
Sports commentator Alister Nicholson tweeted: “My god, amazing scenes. #Buddy1000 a giant reception for a giant of the game.”