LANCE Franklin can defy the key-position Brownlow Medal curse and win the game's highest individual honour before he retires, long-time opponents Harry Taylor and Michael Jamison say.
No key-position player has won a Brownlow Medal since St Kilda full-forward Tony Lockett in 1987.
It is a pretty remarkable fact when you consider that since then key-position forwards such as Gary Ablett snr, Jason Dunstall, Wayne Carey, Warren Tredrea, Jonathan Brown, Nick Riewoldt and Matthew Pavlich have graced the game.
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Franklin's previous best finish in the Brownlow was in 2008 when he was ineligible but finished sixth on the leaderboard, four votes behind winner Adam Cooney.
His only other previous top-10 finish had been in 2011, when he was also ineligible but finished eighth, a whopping 14 votes behind winner Dane Swan.
On Monday night, the Sydney Swans spearhead closed to within two votes of Matt Priddis when he polled two votes in the round 22 win over the Western Bulldogs.
But Franklin was rested from the Swans' round 23 team ahead of the finals and could only watch on helplessly as Priddis polled two votes in the final round to leave him four votes behind, tied with Gary Ablett in second on 22.
Taylor told AFL.com.au after Monday night's count that Franklin, 28, still had time to add a Brownlow to his long list of football achievements, saying the spearhead had taken his game to a new level since crossing to the Swans this season from Hawthorn.
"It's good to see. It gives the rest of us who play key-position hope that one day a forward or defender might be the recipient of this award," the Geelong key defender said.
"I think he's added that element of contested marking. I think when he was playing for the Hawks he got a lot of ball on the lead, but I've noticed this year more than ever his contested marking has been a real highlight."
Blues full-back Jamison told AFL.com.au he still gave Franklin a chance of winning a Brownlow because he played differently to most key forwards.
"It's funny, I actually mentioned to a few of the boys on our table that 'Buddy' was my rough pick and a few of the guys weren't too sure because he played forward," Jamison said.
"But he's different to a traditional forward. He stands out and he kicks goals off the ground, so I'm not surprised that he finished so high."
Jamison said playing against a Swans forward line containing Franklin, Kurt Tippett, Sam Reid and Adam Goodes was a "nightmare" and tipped the quartet would help get the Swans over the line against Hawthorn in the Grand Final.
"Franklin, Tippett, Reid and Goodes, they're very hard to control," Jamison said.
"We played them up there and we kept Buddy half under control for the first half and then he kicked five or six goals, so good luck to anyone who's playing on him on the weekend.
"If it's a nice dry day, certainly the Swannies are my tip."
