While Sydney's finals campaign got off to a dream start in Friday night's win over Melbourne, the future of their superstar forward Lance Franklin remains in doubt.
Franklin, who is uncontracted beyond this season, has put a pause on contract talks with the Swans as he weighs up his options for season 2023.
The four-time Coleman Medallist has been linked with a move away from the Swans, the club he joined in 2014, in recent months with clubs like Brisbane having their name thrown into the trade discussions.
Speaking on Fox Footy, the Herald Sunโs Jon Ralph revealed that Sydney chairman Andrew Pridham admitted that the star making a move to a third club remained "unlikely".
โSydney has conceded for the first time that he might play on elsewhere at a club that is not Sydney,โ Ralph said.
โAnd according to the Swans, itโs whatever is best for Lance, they absolutely will be happy to acquiesce in regards to a trade.
โI spoke with Sydney chairman Andrew Pridham, this could be his last game at the MCG in football - he says everyone is on board with the decision to park those contract talks."
The 35-year-old Swan made his debut for Hawthorn in 2005, going on to play 339 matches. With the Swans now through to a preliminary final thanks to their win over Melbourne, it still remains unclear if Franklin will be playing on beyond 2022 at all.
โWeโd like him to play on, if we can find a way for that to happen we will, but ultimately he has to make that decision," Ralph said.
โOn the prospect of him playing at a third club,ย potentially a club like Brisbane, he said look itโs unlikely, but Iโve been around long enough to know you never quite know.
โWhatever we do we support him - the greatest showman tag is a pretty good one, whenever he turns it on, no-one can stop him.โ
