Sydney star Lance Franklin is in doubt for Friday night's match against Hawthorn. Picture: Getty Source: Mark Metcalfe / Getty Images
THE Swans' Friday night blockbuster against reigning premiers Hawthorn is in danger of losing its star attraction, with Lance Franklin in serious doubt.
"Buddy" Franklin lining up against his former club was one of the most highly anticipated matches of the season but on Monday's evidence that may well not happen.
Sydney's $10 million dollar man walked gingerly into the club offices at the SCG with a compression bandage on his damaged right knee.
The Swans have some serious injury concerns, with leading ruckman Mike Pyke ruled out following a hamstring strain.
Franklin's absence would not only be another big blow to the Swans but would also hurt dwindling AFL crowds at ANZ Stadium.
The star forward would make the difference between a crowd closer to 40,000 than 30,000, which is still well down on the numbers which attended big AFL games at the Olympic Stadium a decade ago.
Coach John Longmire claimed he would not know until after training on Wednesday whether Franklin would be fit to play.
"It's still a few days to go yet and we're a bit uncertain whether he'll be okay or not," Longmire said.
Franklin walks out onto the field at training. Picture: Getty Source: Getty Images
"It's been improving, whether he improves enough by Wednesday, we'll have that discussion.
"We'd expect him to do some training if he was going to play, so he'd have to do some training on Wednesday."
In some good news for the Swans their other big money forward, Kurt Tippett, looks set to play his first game of the year.
Hawthorn has also lost key players for the match, with Sam Mitchell sidelined for eight weeks after sustaining a serious hamstring tendon injury and full back Brian Lake out for three to four weeks with a calf strain.
The loss of Lake will stretch Hawthorn's defence, with the Swans expected to boast three tall forwards even if Franklin is ruled out.
Tippett is expected to join Adam Goodes and Sam Reid on the forward line after the pair also returned from injury over the past fortnight.
Longmire refused to put on percentage of Franklin's chances of playing.
"I don't know yet, mainly because with the tendinitis, day-by-day it does change a bit," he said.
Franklin first hurt his knee against Adelaide in round three and was subbed out against Melbourne in the game before last after landing on it heavily again.
Longmire insisted this was merely a precaution and initially said he expected Franklin to play against Brisbane last Saturday night before ruling him out later in the week.
The loss of Pyke is a big blow for the Swans, with Hawthorn boasting experienced in form big men Ben McEvoy and David Hale with Jarryd Roughead for support.
This leaves the Swans with the inexperienced Tom Derickx as first-choice ruckman and pinch-hitter Lewis Roberts-Thomson like to return as support.
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