SYDNEY superstar Lance Franklin has been fighting a double injury which has kept him out for the last two matches and could force him to miss Saturday’s derby against the GWS Giants at Spotless Stadium.

Coach John Longmire has revealed Franklin has been struggling with a damaged rib cartilage and a torn muscle in his back.

Franklin (pictured right) didn’t train for two weeks and ran for the first time on Monday and Tuesday without joining in the Swans’ training session at the SCG.

The lack of training puts the spearhead in serious doubt.

“He’s torn a muscle (in his back) and has hurt his rib cartilage,” Longmire told The Daily Telegraph.

“The rib cartilage is OK. The problem for him is the bleeding has gone into his abdominal muscles and that is causing him problems.”

THE AFL is planning to aggressively renew its push to capture the hearts and minds of NSW boys and girls on the back of the massive $2.5 billion television war chest.

With the TV rights deal estimated to give the AFL an $800 million advantage over the NRL, the cashed-up code will step up its campaign in league heartland.

The NRL should now see that the AFL’s $200 million initial investment in the GWS Giants and rugby league heartland was merely a shot across the bow. The direct hit is about to come.

“We have an expansion strategy which has been validated by the TV rights deal,” NSW/ACT boss Sam Graham said. “This windfall will help that goal, our broadcast partners are extremely optimistic about the growth of our game in NSW and will support us as we continue to expand the game.”

Collingwood president Eddie McGuire has again raised the ire of Sydney by saying the time for turning a "blind eye" to the Swans is over after nearly two decades of sustained success.

As Sydney's senior officials assess their next move in their bid to overturn the AFL's controversial trade restrictions, McGuire intimated the Swans should no longer be given preferential treatment in the interests of a fair competition.

McGuire said the Swans had been obtaining free agents every year since 1994, when they recruited Dermott Brereton, despite free agency only being first used in the 2012 trade period.

Swans chairman Andrew Pridham hit back, telling Fairfax Media: "It's Eddie being Eddie."

The new feud between Sydney and Collingwood comes as Sydney sports lawyer Darren Kane said the Swans would have a "very arguable" case if they were to take the AFL to court over the trade bans.

SYDNEY Swans AFL Club have strong ties with Sutherland Shire and news of the major upgrade to Waratah Park is expected to provide a pathway for the game's future stars.

The code overall will get a significant kick ahead with $1.5 million to be spent on Waratah Park, Sutherland, the sport's new regional headquarters for juniors and open-age teams.

The announcement was made on Saturday morning at Waratah Park.

The Sydney Swans have had several shire-based players play premiership football.

Midfielder Lloyd Perris, 20, is a Cronulla Sharks junior who came through the Swans Academy and played grade football for St George.

Others first-graders include Nick Davis, a 2005 Sydney Swans premiership winner who had played for Ramsgate.

He has returned to Sutherland Shire and lives at Sylvania. Davis is working in development with the Swans.