Rnd 6 Match Day Thread. Brisbane Lions V Sydney Swans. 1.10pm at The Gabba

[bodgie]

He took a few big leaps which is unusual, but in general instead of trying to clunk the ball he seems to try and tap the ball around either to control it or get it to ground for second attempt or for others.

[Levii3]

Been watching Buddy since he was drafted he was never a Mark and kick player and never will be he's not Hall or Locklett and if people want him to be they'll be left disappointed

[DA_Swan]

Hello... what's Buddy's excuse for his poor hands in the sunshine? I've been saying all year that he's got to be carrying some sort of injury that we don't know about. He's dropping enough sitters for me to question it.
Just sayin'.

I agree with you - but all the great forwards did not do everything well but they were all great marks - if Buddy takes marks he wins the Coleman every year and the Swans win bigtime !! Buddy is the most athletic big man i have ever seen play

[Meg]

I've understood that Buddy had a long-standing thumb injury issue which affects his marking capability. The quotes/article below (written just before the 2014 GF) seem to confirm that. Perhaps it is again a problem this year.

He also had finger surgery just before Christmas 2015 for a bone spur that was affecting his marking and tackling.

"There's a suggestion the Swans medicos are managing Franklin's thumbs better than their Hawks counterparts, which is as simple as injecting Franklin's thumbs in different areas."

"He has an ongoing thumb injury stemming back to the start of the 2009 season. In 2013, he played with a guard and strapping."

"When he signed with Sydney and had his medical, club doctor Nathan Gibbs determined Franklin would not require an operation."

"Gibbs said he could manage Franklin. He has. The injection program has worked wonders."

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