Lance "Buddy" Franklin thrilled an appreciative crowd in his WA hometown on Saturday while making a one-off comeback for the Dowerin Tigers to help raise funds for his former football club.
A tiny farming town two hours' east of Boorloo / Perth, Dowerin has a population of just 450 people, yet about 3,500 fans attended the clash against Gingin Eagles in Round 1 of the Mortlock Football League.
Franklin, wearing the #23 he made famous at AFL level, kicked an early goal and Dowerin went on to defeat Gingin by 33 points.
One of the greatest Indigenous athletes in Australian history, 39-year-old Franklin retired from the AFL in 2023 after an extraordinary career that netted 1063 goals and spanned 354 games.
His brief return to Aussie rules yesterday was designed to help Dowerin Football Club raise $300,000 they need to install new lighting at their home ground. The match was a major success, according to Dowerin Football Club president Todd Quartermaine.
He told National Indigenous Times the event, which had been planned for about nine months, had not just generated great income for the club, but also been a very moving experience for Franklin.
Franklin grew up in, and near Dowerin, before he moved to a boarding school in Perth aged 15, and then at 18 went to Naarm / Melbourne to begin his AFL journey after being drafted by Hawthorn.
Quartermaine said this was Franklin's first game for Dowerin since he was a teenager.
"It was amazing to see how emotional he was in there in the changerooms before the game today," he said.
"You could see that coming back here, and playing for his old club, that this actually meant a lot to him. And obviously it means a lot to us, it means so much, because of the respect he's showing us, at the club, and also because of the amount of money he's helping us to bring into the club today."
Franklin's passion for Dowerin was also highlighted by his former Hawthorn teammate Shane Crawford, who travelled from Naarm / Melbourne to be part of this event.
Crawford described it as a "big day" for Franklin, who was very proud to display his love and loyalty for his hometown.
Franklin looked relaxed and happy from the moment he trotted out onto the ground during warmups. In between doing drills with his Dowerin teammates, Franklin paused to give kids high fives, shake hands with adult fans, and pose for countless selfies.
While many ex-athletes quickly fall out of shape due to savouring the good life in retirement, Franklin looked leaner than ever; no surprise given he's been training for marathons.
Franklin and fellow Indigenous sporting great Jonathan Thurston in December completed the New York City Marathon, alongside a group of First Nations runners, as part of their work as ambassadors the Indigenous Marathon Foundation.
"Buddy looks like he should still be playing AFL," remarked one fan behind the goals.
"Good luck number 10," shouted another spectator to Franklin's first opponent.
Gingin players didn't go easy on Franklin, but they did show him immense respect, shaking his hand and slapping his back before, during and after this unique match in Dowerin dubbed: "The Return of the Legend".
