Buddy Franklin has moved past Gary Ablett Snr into fifth on the all-time goal kickers, bagging three in the Swans 33-point win over the Adelaide Crows in Sydney.
Franklin had 10 disposals and kicked a crucial goal in the third term to re-awaken the Bloods and knock over a plucky Crows outfit 17.16 (118) to 12.13 (85).
The Swans flew out of the gate, kicking nine goals to two in the first quarter, to lead by seven at the first break.
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But the Crows lifted in the second, kicking four goals in the second while holding the Bloods to just two.
In fact, Sydney went to sleep for the better part of an hour, kicking just four goals across the middle two terms.
But it was the Swans second of the third quarter that was the important one. They had struggled to bury Adelaide, and needed someone to lift the team. Of course it was Buddy.
He took the mark in the right pocket, before running around to kick his second for the afternoon to move past Ablett.
“He’s an icon of the sport, he’s heading for legend status in the Hall of Fame,” Brownlow medalist Gerard Healy said on Fox Footy.
“They just needed a good old, old-fashioned Buddy Franklin goal, the Swans.”
But the Crows weren’t done. They reduced the lead to under four goals early in the final term and it looked as though a comeback was on the cards, before the Swans lifted, and turned the final term into a goal-for-goal shootout, before kicking the final two to hold on.
The Swans now move into a three-way tie for fourth with the Lions and Collingwood.
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