Controversy Deepens: Joel Amartey Responds as Troubling Buddy Franklin Detail Emerges
Swans forward Joel Amartey credited his relationship with Lance ‘Buddy’ Franklin for his development after scoring nine goals in the Swans’ 42-point away victory over the Crows. Amartey’s impressive performance, achieving nine goals from only 10 disposals, marked him as the first Swan since Franklin in August 2017 to score at least nine goals.
This stellar game has placed the 24-year-old fifth on the Coleman Medal leaderboard with 31 goals, surpassing his previous best season tally of 20 goals in 15 games last year. Amartey acknowledged that his growth as a player is largely due to Franklin’s mentorship.
Amartey stated, “I guess (Franklin) is the greatest key forward mentor you can have. The main one is he’s the greatest competitor, I reckon, of all time. His ability to compete on the ground – and playing key forward, can be a bit dry sometimes when you’re not getting the ball. The self-belief in your strengths and what you can bring to the team was a big one he used to instill.”
Drafted by Sydney in 2017, Amartey spent almost three seasons learning from Franklin before making his AFL debut in round 17, 2020. However, soft-tissue injuries have hindered his ability to establish himself fully in the first-grade side.
In the 2024 AFL season, the highest goal tally before Amartey’s performance was six, achieved by six different players. On Saturday, Amartey exceeded this mark by scoring nine goals. His playing time was 80 percent against the Crows, higher than his career average of 60 to 65 percent. However, the Swans’ decision to bench him several times in the final quarter, including with a couple of minutes remaining, drew criticism.
Alister Nicholson on Channel 7 commented, “This just isn’t on. You got to call that out. Joel Amartey on the bench with two minutes to go and he has kicked nine. It’s an entertainment product partly, isn’t it? I know teams want to win, but this result is well and truly determined. Leave him out there and let’s have some late theatre.”
Shaun Burgoyne added, “He’s laughing because he’s like ‘what am I doing here?’ They’re all laughing, saying get him back out there.”
Amartey explained on SEN that the decision to bench him was due to workload management. While the call possibly prevented him from scoring double-digit goals, Amartey expressed no issue with the Swans’ medical staff’s decision.
