Buddy Franklin moves up to fourth in all-time list of AFL goalkickers on his 350th game

Buddy Franklin celebrated his 350th AFL game by moving up to fourth in the all-time list of VFL/AFL goalkickers as the Sydney Swans took on St Kilda in a low-scoring affair at the SCG on Thursday night. 

Halfway through the second quarter, Franklin slotted the Swans’ second major of the game to move up to 1,058 career goals, one ahead of Doug Wade.

Only Tony Lockett, Gordon Coventry and Jason Dunstall with 1,360, 1,299 and 1,254 goals respectively are ahead of Franklin, who kicked his second of the night four minutes later after some sloppy defending from the Saints. 

Just over a year after becoming only the sixth player in VFL and AFL history to kick 1,000 goals in his career, the Swans superstar also joined another exclusive club as only 21 players before him have reached the 350-game milestone.

Buddy Franklin moved up to fourth in the list of all-time VFL/AFL goalkickers 

The 36-year-old is only the fourth Indigenous player after Shaun Burgoyne, Adam Goodes and Eddie Betts to play at least 350 games in his career. 

A bonafide great of the game, Franklin has kicked 1,057 goals since making his debut for Hawthorn in 2005.

He won two premierships with the Hawks and kicked 580 goals in 182 games, before moving north of the border in 2014. 

The Swans’ leading goalkicker in seven of his nine seasons at the club, Franklin has booted 477 majors in 167 games for the club and the Coleman Medal in 2014 and 2017 to go with the two he won with the Hawks in 2008 and 2011.

An eight-time All-Australian, Franklin is under contract until the end of the season, when he is widely expected to bring down the curtain on an extraordinary career. 

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