Lance Franklin calls time on glittering AFL career

Franklin went to the club to tell his teammates on Monday, but one of the game's most marketable talents did not join a media conference in the afternoon fronted by coach John Longmire and club chief executive Tom Harley.

"Everyone would have loved to have Lance available ... he just doesn't like these situations," Longmire said. 

Longmire and Harley said that Franklin would eventually speak about his retirement.

Franklin, who won two premierships with the Hawks in 2008 and '13, belongs in the conversation with Graham "Polly" Farmer and former Swans teammate Adam Goodes as the game's greatest Indigenous player.

The 36-year-old is fourth on the all-time leading goalkickers list with 1066 goals from his 354 games.

The last big highlight of Franklin's career came last season when he kicked his 1000th goal, sparking wild celebrations as fans thronged onto the SCG playing surface.

"What a journey. Thanks to everyone who has been on this crazy ride with me," said Franklin in an Instagram post complete with a photo of him alongside his only two senior coaches, Hawthorn's Alastair Clarkson and Longmire, taken after the 1000-goal game.

Franklin stunned the sport at the end of the 2013 season by signing a massive nine-year deal with the Swans.

He extended that deal by a year in grand final week last season, a few days before Geelong belted Sydney at the MCG.

The Swans managed him through this season as he played 13 games, including the last four in a row, prompting some speculation about whether he might continue next year.

But after nursing a knee injury through this season, Saturday night's setback proved the last straw and Longmire confirmed this latest calf problem would have ended Franklin's season.

Longmire said everyone, including Franklin, would soon forget how his career ended and instead remember what he did.

"We're very lucky to have obviously, clearly experienced one of the all-time greats," Longmire said.

"I feel really privileged to have coached him ... for a large portion of his career.

"Whether (it's) in a game of AFL ... whether it's table tennis, he's extraordinarily competitive."

Longmire added that before Franklin came to Sydney, he was a "nightmare" to coach against.

But once Sydney pulled off the shock trade that brought Franklin to the Swans, he said interest in the club went "through the roof".

Longmire and Harley spoke of Franklin's rock-star persona and how he transcended his sport.

While the Swans never won a flag with Franklin, "Buddy" was their main forward for three grand finals and his star quality gave them a significant boost in the tough Sydney market.

He was an eight-time All Australian, most recently in 2018, when Franklin was given the extra honour of captaincy.

Asked on stage at the All-Australian function what the skipper would tell his honorary team if they played, Franklin grinned and said "kick it to me".

It was classic Franklin - a freakishly talented key forward who lit up the game with his on-field exploits.

At his peak, Franklin was unstoppable and his highlights feature some of the best goals in AFL history.

Franklin's playing honours are elite and he will surely join Farmer as a legend in the Australian Football Hall Of Fame.

He is the most recent player to kick 100 goals in a season, with 113 in 2008.