Annual captain's poll reveals interesting opinions
THE captains have spoken and Hawthorn gun forward Lance 'Buddy' Franklin has been given less than half a chance to back up last year's Coleman Medal with another.
Franklin became the first Aboriginal footballer to win the AFL's leading goal-kicker award, and the first player since Sydney goliath Tony Lockett in 1998 to boot 100 goals in a home-and-away season.
The AFL's annual poll of club captains revealed other interesting points of view. In the survey, the captains could not vote for their own team. When asked who would win the league's leading goal-kicking award, 10 opted for Carlton's Brendan Fevola, five for Franklin, and one for Franklin's team-mate, Jarryd Roughed.
Franklin and Fevola were engaged in rare shootout to 100 goals in Round 22 last year when the Hawks and Blues clashed at Docklands. Franklin won that duel, while Fevola was stranded on 99 for the season in a dramatic final quarter. Carlton missed the finals.
Perhaps Franklin's limited pre-season led the captains to their choice. The 22-year-old has hardly been sighted in NAB Cup/Challenge games. He was a late withdrawal from AFL All-Stars v Adelaide match in Darwin last month.
* Read the full survey results
here.
DARREN MONCRIEFF
Darren@AboriginalFootball.com.au
Friday, March 20, 2009
Last Modified on 20/03/2009 02:29