Sydney Swans fans will shed a tear with Lance 'Buddy' Franklin's announcement on Monday that he is immediately retiring from the game.
The superstar forward shared the news after a devastating injury sustained to his calf on the weekend, which resulted in his subbing out of the Swans' victorious game against Essendon.
A titan of the game, the Noongar Whadjuk man is calling time on a stellar career which only last year saw him achieve another highlight, kicking his 1000th goal for the team he came to emblemise.
Siren blows on glittering career
In his near 20 years in professional AFL, Franklin played over 350 games, joining the Hawthorn Hawks in 2005 before moving to his beloved Swans in 2014.
He was a four-time Coleman medallist, captained the All Australian team in 2018 and is one of only two players to kick at least 300 goals for two different clubs. He kicked a further 66 goals after last years milestone for a career-total of 1066.
Sydney Swans coach John Longmire paid tribute to Franklin, saying he was a privilege to coach.
"Lance Franklin has been a wonderful player with this football club and in my opinion is the greatest forward of his generation,” he said in a statement.
“He is a massive competitor and a wonderful teammate. Lance is also an extremely private and humble champion, which makes him even more endearing to those who know him."
Indeed Franklin was beloved not only by fans of the game, but also by those who witnessed his work in Aboriginal communities, something his towering accomplishments in sport never impeded.
He was outspoken in his advocacy for First Nations communities, pushing Aboriginal involvement in the game as well as better institutional supports for those who made it at the professional level.
Indigenous employment was another area of interest for the 36-year-old, actively encouraging businesses to counter obstacles faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the workplace.
Franklin is expected to make a more formal statement at a later date,.
