LANCE Franklin reckons the Sydney Swans are drawing confidence from winning games without having to rely on big bags of goals from him.
The three-time Coleman Medallist has gone goalless in two of his last three games, but the Swans won both those matches.
It was the first time since 2013 Franklin has failed to score in more than one match in a season.
Sandwiched between the blank outings against Melbourne and Hawthorn was a four-goal effort against Geelong.
The Swans have scored fewer total points than any other team in the top eight, but have conceded fewer than anyone bar leaders Fremantle.
They only kicked 12 goals in the win over the Demons and just 11 in the hard-fought, low scoring thriller against the Hawks.
If Franklin was frustrated at drawing a blank against his former club so soon after the last time against Melbourne, he wasn't showing it at the AFL's indigenous round launch in Sydney on Tuesday.
He said he didn't play his best game against the Hawks, but the team had got the win despite not getting a big bag of goals from an individual.
"I think it gives everyone around the footy club confidence that we don't need to rely on one person to kick goals every week," Franklin said.
"I didn't kick goals on the weekend and we ended up winning.
"'Goodesy' (Adam Goodes) pops up and kicks his (goal), `Tippo' (Kurt Tippett) kicks his two and we get the midfielders kicking goals too.
"I think it's really important that we have that mix of different blokes popping up each week and kicking goals."
Following his goalless game against Melbourne, one of Franklin's teammates put a box of doughnuts in his locker.
"Not this week," Franklin joked.
Franklin wasn't concerned the turmoil engulfing Carlton would in any way affect the Swans when they host the Blues at the SCG on Friday.
"We're going about it as just another game," Franklin said shortly before news broke of the sacking of Carlton coach Mick Malthouse.
