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 sturdy statements on Monday after Franklin, arguably the sport’s best Indigenous participant, was booed each time he touched the ball throughout Sunday’s match in entrance of a parochial Magpies crowd on the MCG.
Clearly referring to the booing that drove fellow Swans Indigenous nice Adam Goodes out of the sport, Sydney condemned the therapy of Franklin throughout the round-eight defeat.
The match was the primary time Collingwood and Sydney had performed one another on the MCG since Goodes was racially abused by a supporter in 2013.
Speaking on Tuesday, Cox admitted the gang’s jeering of the veteran ahead “didn’t sit well” with him however Franklin was “fine”.
The former West Coast star stated Collingwood made the proper name in proactively releasing an announcement lower 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 advised SEN WA.
“None more so than (captain Darcy) Moore and what he’s delivered as a captain in his first season as well.
“We simply wish to rejoice these sort of gamers, to have the ability to witness what he is performed for such an extended time frame within the sport, he must 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 function at this stage of his profession just isn’t to have the ability to try to kick 60-70 objectives,” he stated.
“Lance performs an essential function in our ahead line and that is to guide a ahead line, it is to offer a goal.
“I think, at times, we’ve probably been a little bit too Lance conscious in some of our forward entries.”
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
