Melbourne great Garry Lyon has explained the “double-edged sword” that Sydney spearhead Lance Franklin presents.
Speaking on FOX FOOTY’s AFL 360 last night, five-time premiership player Dermott Brereton criticised the Swans for playing “defensive football”, when they have someone of Franklin’s calibre on their list.
Lyon agreed with Brereton’s contention to a degree, but also placed some of the blame on Franklin, using an example from last week’s loss to Gold Coast as to why it’s difficult to get the seven-time All-Australian to play in a structured framework.
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“It’s a double-edged sword from what I can half glean from what is said and what is not said,” Lyon told SEN Breakfast.
“That is, yes they play that (defensive) way, Dermott is 100 percent right, they are very content to play footy in their back half.
“The other suggestion is that it’s a little more difficult to get Buddy to play where you want to play him. He doesn’t allow you to play with great structure.
“That game on the weekend, he was up free ranging, while Steven May was marking the footy 20 metres out from goal on his own.
“He wasn’t Steven May’s opponent but that is the stage where Buddy needed to go, I’ll go back and be the man down here. I’ll stand next to Steven May and make sure at least we get a contest.
“Steven May took four or five uncontested marks. At some stage, if you’re the best forward of the modern era, you can’t be running 90 metres away trying to get around the back, doing the stuff which is all good and well when we are playing well, and leave Steven May unmanned and uncontested in the forward half.
“I think he is a free spirit and I think there are some frustrations at times in trying to get him to play structure.”
SEN Breakfast with Garry Lyon and Tim Watson can be heard Monday-Friday 6-9am, and you can subscribe to the podcast here.
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