Lance Franklin at Sydney training on July 12, 2022. Picture: Phil Hillyard

SYDNEY superstar Lance Franklin will be able to put the speculation around his future to one side and lift for Saturday night's crunch game against Fremantle as he returns to Western Australia for just his third game in his home state in five years.

Franklin, who remains a massive drawcard for WA fans, flew into his home state early this week and was joined by teammates on Friday afternoon as Optus Stadium prepares for a bumper crowd on Saturday night.

Swans forward Tom Papley said the champion goalkicker had a track record of not being impacted by off-field matters once the ball was bounced, and he should be ready to lift for the occasion against the third-placed Dockers.

Tom Papley and Lance Franklin celebrate kicking a goal during Sydney's round 17 match against the Western Bulldogs at the SCG on July 8, 2022. Picture: Getty Images

"He's had a lot of speculation over his career and things like that, and it's a big game. Lance Franklin in big games usually goes pretty well, so I'm looking forward to it," Papley said as the Swans arrived in Perth.

"I think he kicked eight here in the first ever game at Optus, so eight would be nice. If he kicked eight, I reckon we'd go pretty close."

Franklin's status as one of the biggest drawcards for WA fans outside the two local clubs should be underlined on Saturday night, with fans expected to flock to the battle between third and seventh.

Sydney's Lance Franklin celebrates after scoring a goal against Fremantle in round 10 at Optus Stadium on May 22, 2021. Picture: AFL Photos

The Dockers are on the march towards their first finals appearance in seven seasons and Franklin is playing just his third game in his native state in five seasons, giving the Dockers an opportunity to push towards their non-Derby record crowd.   

Fremantle's biggest crowd this season was 47,214, against Brisbane on a Sunday afternoon in round 12, with its record for a game not involving West Coast currently 49,021, against Essendon in 2018. 

Ticket sales remained strong on Friday and were projected to hit 45,000 for the Dockers' second Saturday night game this season at their Optus Stadium home.   

Franklin has an impeccable record to uphold at the venue, with 14 goals to his name from just two appearances.

Lance Franklin high fives supporters after the round one match between West Coast and Sydney at Optus Stadium on March 25, 2018 in Perth, Australia. Picture: AFL Photos

After opening the AFL's newest venue back in 2018 with a thrilling eight-goal bag, Franklin booted six goals against Fremantle last season in a two-point loss.

Saturday night's match will be the 35-year-old's first game in front of fans in his home state since reaching the magical 1,000-goal milestone, having previously played 16 games at Subiaco Oval for 34 goals.

Adding another layer to the important clash is the uncertainty around Franklin's future and even speculation he could finish his career in the west.

Lance Franklin and John Longmire at Sydney training on July 14, 2022. Picture: AFL Photos

The Swans are adamant they want Franklin to finish his career with the club, despite the parties being apart on the financial terms of his next deal.

"I can't comment on that out of respect to him and the club, (but) I love playing with him and I'm sure they'll come to an agreement," Papley said. 

Franklin, who will be 36 before the start of next season, will be a free agent when his 2022 deal expires but remains a star, leading the Swans goalkicking this year with 34.

The Dockers are weighing their options to combat Franklin after opting not to play No.1 key defender Alex Pearce becuase of a calf issue.

Griffin Logue held his own in an entertaining battle with Franklin in the teams' last clash, splitting the one-on-one battles but conceding late goals in the Dockers' two-point win.