Lance Franklin has taken a significant step towards a long-awaited AFL return, playing a scratch match for Sydney’s reserves.
Provided he pulls up well from Sunday’s hit-out, Franklin could potentially return in the Swans’ round-two clash with Adelaide on Saturday.
Franklin played one half of the clash between the Swans’ reserves and GWS’s seconds.
The four-time Coleman medallist hasn’t played AFL since the final round of the 2019 season.
The injury-cursed superstar has been sidelined with groin, hamstring and calf issues during the past year.
Swans coach John Longmire has repeatedly made it clear his club will take a conservative approach with the 34-year-old.
“He’s been training,” Longmire said after the Swans’ upset AFL win over Brisbane on Saturday night.
“We’ll work out what that looks like for this week, we’re not sure yet.
“It’s very much day by day.
“We have a rough outline of a plan and then we go with how he’s feeling, and we’ll work that out as we go.
“When we feel he’s ready to go, he’ll play.”