Buddy Franklin involved in car crash

Updated August 07, 2012 07:08:32

Hawthorn star Lance Franklin has been involved in a car accident which left another man with an injured arm.

The Hawks confirmed the accident, which comes just two-and-a-half weeks after Franklin was booked for doing 90 kilometres per hour in a 50kph zone.

"Lance is shaken but has not sustained injury in the accident, while the driver of the other vehicle involved has been treated for an arm injury," the club said in a statement.

The 25-year-old Franklin still holds his licence, but is due to lose it for six months.

He was booked for speeding on July 19 but the cancellation period does not start until 28 days after the infringement.

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, hawthorn-3122, vic, australia

First posted August 06, 2012 22:35:30

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Hawks rule Franklin out of Cats clash

Updated August 02, 2012 13:56:42

Hawthorn will rest Lance Franklin for a fourth successive week with a hamstring injury, ruling the star forward out of Friday night's round-19 clash with arch-rivals Geelong at the MCG.

The Hawks are second on the ladder and carry the tag of premiership favourites with the bookies.

But the continued absence of the Coleman Medal leader is a blow for coach Alastair Clarkson as he tries to end an eight-game losing streak against the Cats.

"He won't play this week. He's nearly there but we just want to make sure that he's completely over this little niggle," Clarkson told reporters on Thursday.

"He did some running this morning. It just wasn't as comfortable as perhaps what we would have liked him to be to get himself up for this week, but we're really hopeful he'll be right next week."

Hawthorn have not beaten Geelong since the 2008 grand final, although the Hawks are in excellent form with eight successive wins - the last three of which have been without Franklin.

AAP

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, hawthorn-3122

First posted August 02, 2012 13:56:42

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Franklin reported as Hawks down Port

Updated June 11, 2012 10:30:51

Superstar Lance Franklin was reported for a sling tackle during Hawthorn's 46-point thrashing of Port Adelaide in Sunday's twilight match.

The Hawks prevailed 16.12 (108) to 9.8 (62) at Football Park to post their fifth win in sixth matches.

Franklin kicked four goals but faces suspension for a sling tackle on Port's Paul Stewart in the final quarter.

The Hawk ace threw Stewart to the ground after the Port player lost possession of the ball in a similar incident to that involving Adelaide's Taylor Walker three weeks ago which cost the Crow a two-match ban.

Franklin's report took some gloss off Hawthorn's emphatic victory, with emerging talent Luke Breust capping an impressive game with three goals and Brad Sewell outstanding in midfield.

Port, who had their three-game winning streak emphatically broken, had few clear stars though Jay Schulz potted three goals.

"We just got outclassed by a better team, that's the facts," Port defender Jacob Surjan told Grandstand.

"We've got a lot of improvement - the last three weeks has been good, but [it was a] bit of a reality check today.

"We'll just go back to training and keep improving."

Hawthorn took control early, logging 7.4 to 3.3 in the opening quarter, and was never threatened by the Power.

The visitors then suffocated their hosts, restricting Port to just two goals in the second and third terms.

"Their onballers really got on top of ours and got some clean ball into the forward line and their guys kicked some goals," Surjan said.

"So they really showed us how the game needs to be played.

"We just need to get better as a group and we really look forward to next week's challenge now."

The Hawks snared five goals of their own in that period - including another addition to Franklin's highlight reel - to lead by a commanding 46 points at three quarter-time.

Franklin toyed with his marker Alipate Carlile after getting a free kick some 60 metres from goal in the second quarter.

The Hawk spearhead fooled Carlile with three dummies - initially swinging to his left, then right, then left again before launching an accurate 55m bomb on the run.

Franklin's feat was a rare highlight in a scrappy, feisty contest before 26,638 spectators which featured several wrestles and Franklin's errant tackle.

Hawthorn: 16.12 (108) - Franklin 4, Breust 3, Roughead 2, Gunston 2, Hill 2, Hale, Shiels, Puopolo.

Port Adelaide: 9.8 (62) - Schulz 3, Stewart 2, Westhoff, Moore, Hitchcock, Wingard.

ABC/AAP

Tags: australian-football-league, sport, port-adelaide-5015, sa, hawthorn-3122, vic, australia

First posted June 10, 2012 19:24:15

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Fabulous Franklin bags baker's dozen

Updated June 02, 2012 19:28:33

It was the Lance Franklin show in Launceston on Saturday, as the Hawthorn spearhead kicked a career-best 13 goals in the Hawks 115-point thumping of North Melbourne.

For North Melbourne it was a nightmare performance, putting further pressure on coach Brad Scott, as his team could make no impression and gave up more than a dozen goals as a result of turnovers.

Scott kept his players behind closed doors for more than half an hour after the 27.12 (174) to 9.5 (59) defeat.

The Hawks had a most welcome return to form after being thrashed by 62 points by Richmond last week.

Hawthorn's David Hale told Grandstand the team had primed themselves for a big game against North Melbourne.

"We were very disappointed with our effort last week and we just wanted to get back to good hard footy," Hale said.

"I think we did that right from the start, and in the second half when we had the chance to put the foot on the throat [of the Kangaroos] we did that as well, which was good."

Hale described Franklin's performance - which included 23 possessions, nine of them contested, 11 marks and six tackles - as "incredible".

"Obviously, he had a few quiet weeks, but he was due a big one and he certainly delivered today," he said.

Franklin had been criticised for his wasteful ways in front of goal this season. Going into round 10 the Hawks star had 21.36 for 2012.

That all changed at York Park as his score of 13 goals four behinds on its own beat the Kangaroos by 33 points.

Franklin now leads the Coleman Medal with 34 goals, ahead of Richmond's Jack Riewoldt - who kicked eight against St Kilda on Friday - on 31 for the year.

Franklin brought up his 12th in the dying stages with his best effort, steering the ball home from the boundary line to send the Launceston crowd into raptures.

He then signed off with one final goal with the last kick of the day.

Early on North held their own, but once Hawthorn took the lead near the end of the first quarter, there was no doubt who would win the contest.

Hawthorn did things as it pleased against an insipid Kangaroos outfit, with 68 forward entries to 38 for the match.

The Hawks were too strong getting the football inside, and at times they turned the game into a training drill - kicking 22 goals to five in the last three quarters.

The trio of Sam Mitchell (35 disposals, seven marks), Jordan Lewis (18 disposals, two goals) and Brad Sewell (21 disposals, three marks, nine tackles) were particularly influential in the middle of the ground.

The Kangaroos have the bye next weekend, before returning to a must-win game against the Gold Coast Suns in Queensland.

The Hawks had their sixth win of the season, and will head west to play Port Adelaide at Football Park next week.

Hawthorn: 27.12 (174) - Franklin 13, Breust 3, J Lewis 2, Rioli 2, Young 2, Puopolo 2, Roughead, Hale, Smith.

North Melbourne: 9.5 (59) - S Wright 3, Adams, Atley, Edwards, Petrie, Wells, Swallow.

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, australia, tas, launceston-7250

First posted June 02, 2012 17:03:59

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Franklin spills it under pressure

Published:Saturday, June 18, 2011 6:38 AEST

Lance Franklin of the Hawks drops a mark under pressure from Nathan Bock of the Suns during the round 13 AFL match between the Hawthorn Hawks and the Gold Coast Suns on June 18, 2011 in Launceston.

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, australia, qld, carrara-4211, tas, launceston-7250, vic, hawthorn-3122

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Franklin loads up for Cats clash

Posted June 10, 2011 17:15:00

The Hawks get back their best gun-slinger but they do not want a shoot-out against Geelong in their much-anticipated AFL clash on Saturday night.

Just in time for third-placed Hawthorn's latest test of its premiership credentials, superstar forward Lance Franklin will return from a calf injury for the match at the MCG.

Franklin will need a medical green light on match day but Hawks coach Alastair Clarkson is confident he will be sending his goalkicking gun to the goalsquare.

But what Clarkson does not want is for the match to develop into a fast-flowing, high-scoring shoot-out, believing that would leave the Hawks riddled with holes.

"If it's a shoot-out tomorrow night, I reckon we'll be on the back end of another loss to the Cats," said Clarkson, whose side has lost all five meetings with Geelong since beating them in the 2008 grand final.

"I don't think you ever defeat Geelong when it's a 15 or 17-goal each sort of game. I don't reckon you get the Cats that way.

"We know full well if it's a shoot-out type of game, that suits Geelong right down to the ground.

"If it's a bit more of a grind, it's back in our favour."

With a rivalry stretching back to the epic 1989 grand final the Hawks won by a goal, Clarkson not surprisingly expects the Cats to provide just as stiff a test as premier Collingwood.

Unbeaten in 10 matches - including a win over the Magpies this season - Geelong tops the ladder and the Hawks coach believes the Cats are worthy flag contenders.

"By definition of the games won, they are the benchmark," he said.

"The Cats and Collingwood, they're the two best sides in the competition and we get to see if we've bridged the gap a little bit."

The Hawks will be buoyed by Franklin's return, which will be rubber-stamped if he pulls up well from Friday's training session at Waverley Park.

"We expect he'll play... he trained pretty solidly yesterday and pulled up fine today, so I'd imagine he'll be okay to go tomorrow night," Clarkson said.

"We'd like to think Buddy gives us more flexibility in our forward line."

Midfielder Shane Savage also returns from injury, with youngster Jordan Lisle and defender Kyle Cheney left out.

Geelong regains important duo Paul Chapman and Darren Milburn for the match.

- AAP

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, australia, vic, geelong-3220, hawthorn-3122, melbourne-3000

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Franklin bags six for the Hawks

Published:Sunday, May 22, 2011 5:12 AEST

Lance Franklin of the Hawks marks during the round nine AFL match between the Sydney Swans and the Hawthorn Hawks at the Sydney Cricket Ground on May 22, 2011.

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, australia, nsw, sydney-2000, vic, hawthorn-3122

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Undefeated Cats wary of Franklin

Published:Thursday, April 21, 2011 9:31 AESTExpires:Wednesday, July 20, 2011 9:31 AEST

Geelong coach Chris Scott is looking to his midfield and defensive players to contain Hawthorn forward Lance Franklin in the Anzac Day clash.

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Concern over alleged Franklin racial abuse

Updated April 19, 2011 15:49:00

Tasmania's Anti-Discrimination commissioner has expressed concern about allegations AFL star Lance Franklin was racially abused in Launceston last weekend.

Hawthorn says Franklin was subjected to a tirade of abuse from an unidentified man during the match against West Coast at Aurora Stadium on Saturday.

Hawthorn is determined to uncover the person who made the alleged comments, with Hawks chief Stuart Fox saying he was appalled at the news.

The club says it plans to have the person barred from future matches.

Commissioner Robin Banks says racism is not acceptable on or off the field.

"People are quite impassioned about their sport and they almost forget the norms of appropriate behaviour and conduct when their adrenaline is up," she said.

"[This] is why it needs to be addressed very strongly by the AFL and by everybody involved."

First posted April 19, 2011 15:36:00

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Franklin soars over Eagles defence

 Published:Saturday, April 16, 2011 5:03 AEST

Lance Franklin of the Hawks marks during the round four AFL match between Hawthorn and West Coast in Launceston on April 16, 2011.

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