Talking Footy

Sydney Swans' star recruit Lance Franklin proves he can draw a crowd

Date February 13, 2014

David Sygall
Sports reporter


If Lance Franklin expected moving to Sydney would allow him peace and space compared to the suffocating world of football-mad Melbourne, he was given a reminder that, on the field at least, he is going to draw a huge amount of attention in his adopted city.

Rusted on Swans fans might wish it was the club's array of stars that drew several hundred - some were saying more than 2000 people - to the team's intra-club hit-out at Lakeside Oval, just outside the Sydney Cricket Ground, on Wednesday evening.

If it were Collingwood, Geelong or even Franklin's old club Hawthorn, a crowd at, effectively, a training session would be par for the course. But at the Swans? They'd never seen anything like this.

Transmission towers loomed high in the air and sent back live crosses from half a dozen or so reporters before and during the game. A news chopper took footage from above of the swelling crowd, three or four deep from the fence surrounding the team's training ground.

The smell from a nearby sausage sizzle wafted across the Swans membership tent, a merchandise table and stalls of local teams looking to sign up kids. Even Ciggy the Swans mascot was there. All the big guns were deployed.

They were there to see Franklin and his new teammates go near-full tilt as part of their preparation for the upcoming pre-season clashes against GWS next week and, later, West Coast and Brisbane.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/AFL/AFL-news/s ... z2t8Pnzpdx

Beaussie wrote:

Wow, 2,000 fans for a Swans inter club hit out.

Buddy is going to be massive in Sydney for years to come. The media seem to love him up here too.

Sydney Swans' star recruit Lance Franklin proves he can draw a crowd

Date February 13, 2014

David Sygall
Sports reporter


If Lance Franklin expected moving to Sydney would allow him peace and space compared to the suffocating world of football-mad Melbourne, he was given a reminder that, on the field at least, he is going to draw a huge amount of attention in his adopted city.

Rusted on Swans fans might wish it was the club's array of stars that drew several hundred - some were saying more than 2000 people - to the team's intra-club hit-out at Lakeside Oval, just outside the Sydney Cricket Ground, on Wednesday evening.

If it were Collingwood, Geelong or even Franklin's old club Hawthorn, a crowd at, effectively, a training session would be par for the course. But at the Swans? They'd never seen anything like this.

Transmission towers loomed high in the air and sent back live crosses from half a dozen or so reporters before and during the game. A news chopper took footage from above of the swelling crowd, three or four deep from the fence surrounding the team's training ground.

The smell from a nearby sausage sizzle wafted across the Swans membership tent, a merchandise table and stalls of local teams looking to sign up kids. Even Ciggy the Swans mascot was there. All the big guns were deployed.

They were there to see Franklin and his new teammates go near-full tilt as part of their preparation for the upcoming pre-season clashes against GWS next week and, later, West Coast and Brisbane.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/AFL/AFL-news/s ... z2t8Pnzpdx