Magpies 'classy' club for Franklin apology: Swans' Cox

By: Oliver Caffrey Time published 2023-05-09 at 04:27 PM (GMT +10:00)

Sydney assistant coach Dean Cox has congratulated Collingwood for swiftly reacting to the bizarre booing of Swans champion Lance Franklin.

LANCE FRANKLIN of the Swans kicks the ball under pressure during the AFL match between Sydney Swans and West Coast Eagles at GMHBA Stadium in Geelong, Australia.
LANCE FRANKLIN of the Swans kicks the ball under pressure during the AFL match between Sydney Swans and West Coast Eagles at GMHBA Stadium in Geelong, Australia. Picture: Daniel Pockett/AFL Photos/via Getty Images

Sydney assistant coach Dean Cox has applauded Collingwood as a "classy organisation" for swiftly apologising to Swans icon Lance Franklin after he was bizarrely booed by Magpies supporters.

The AFL joined the Swans and Collingwood in issuing strong statements on Monday after Franklin, arguably the game's greatest Indigenous player, was booed every time he touched the ball during Sunday's match in front of a parochial Magpies crowd at the MCG.

Clearly referring to the booing that drove fellow Swans Indigenous great Adam Goodes out of the game, Sydney condemned the treatment of Franklin during the round-eight defeat.

The match was the first time Collingwood and Sydney had played each other at the MCG since Goodes was racially abused by a supporter in 2013.

Speaking on Tuesday, Cox admitted the crowd's jeering of the veteran forward "didn't sit well" with him but Franklin was "fine".

The former West Coast star said Collingwood made the right call in proactively releasing a statement less than 24 hours after the booing of Franklin.

"I think that's the first thing you can do (is applaud Collingwood), that's why they're a classy organisation to be able to do that," Cox told SEN WA.

"None more so than (captain Darcy) Moore and what he's delivered as a captain in his first season as well.

"We just want to celebrate those type of players, to be able to witness what he's done for such a long period of time in the game, he should be applauded, not booed."

Franklin, who almost certainly will become an Australian football Hall Of Fame legend once he retires, is likely playing his last season with the Swans.

The 36-year-old was responsible for one of the game's greatest moments at the SCG last year when he became just the sixth player to kick 1000 VFL/AFL goals.

Franklin has been below his superstar best this season, kicking just seven goals from five games in 2023, including 0.1 against the Magpies.

But Cox said the left-footer was still a valuable member of the Swans line-up.

"Lance's role at this stage of his career is not to be able to try and kick 60-70 goals," he said.

"Lance plays an important role in our forward line and that's to lead a forward line, it's to provide a target.

"I think, at times, we've probably been a little bit too Lance conscious in some of our forward entries."