‘Threat never goes’: Lyon’s big Franklin reveal

But they might have had the celebrity goalkicker for even longer if not for premiership coach Paul Roos knocking again a push from Ross Lyon to go after him ten years earlier.

Franklin booted two objectives for the Swans towards St Kilda on Thursday evening and moved into outright fourth on the AFL/VFL all-time objectives record in his 350th sport.

But it wasn’t sufficient to beat the Saints and post-match Lyon, now teaching St Kilda, revealed he advised Sydney recruit Franklin 20 years in the past when he was scouting for them, however was knocked again by then-Swans coach Roos.

A poor efficiency towards the Swans when Franklin was at Hawthorn dissuaded Roos who thought Franklin, a sure AFL Hall of Famer who might even be a legend as soon as his profession is completed, was solely “OK”.

“I thought Bud, or Lance I should call him, I don’t really know him. I thought he was significant and then we got on top of their team and nullified him to a point so from our end that was pleasing,” Lyon mentioned.

“That threat never goes, does it, that threat of Lance erupting, he’s done it (so many times), he’s a very, very special player.

“Will we ever see anything like him again? I’m not sure. I remember watching him at a practice match before he’d really played (AFL), he kicked eight against Port Adelaide when I was scouting for the Swans and I said ‘This Franklin is handy and Roosy was like ‘Nah he’s OK’.

“Then he didn’t do much against us and (Roos) said ‘See I told you’. But he went on to be a superstar, hasn’t he.”

Franklin, now 36 and certain in his ultimate season, joined the Swans after 9 years and two premierships at Hawthorn.

On Thursday evening he went previous Doug Wade (1057) and now sits outright fourth behind Jason Dunstall (1254), Gordon Coventry (1299) and Tony Lockett (1360).

Originally revealed as Ross Lyon urged Sydney coach Paul Roos to signal Lance Franklin 20 years in the past