Franklin, who was held goalless in the opening half against the Blues, exploded in the second half, booting five of the Swans’ ten goals in the third quarter and finished the match with a season-high six-goal haul.
Speaking to SwansTV following the Swans’ record-equalling twelfth-straight victory, Franklin said he was thoroughly enjoying his time in the red and white in 2014.
“My confidence has been up for a little bit now,” he said.
“I’m just enjoying my football at this stage and love being at the club and all of the boys have been really good.
“I’m obviously excited for the last six games and then the finals and we’ll see what happens.”
Franklin could do little wrong in the second half of Saturday night’s match, kicking long bombs from 60 metres and taking strong contested marks.
He was also important defensively, chasing hard and applying pressure inside the Swans’ forward 50.
While Franklin’s performance was a stand out for the Swans, he said the efforts of fellow forward Sam Reid, who finished the match with four goals and three marks inside-50, could not be overlooked, particularly in the absence of Kurt Tippett.
“He’s a great young talent and he’s only 22 years old – you forget that at times,” he said.
“I think with ‘Tippo’ (Kurt Tippett) going out he really stood up tonight.
“To kick the goals he did was really exciting for the football club and hopefully he can keep learning and progressing his game and keep learning off me and Tippo week in, week out, and play the best footy he can.”
Franklin’s second-half brilliance was ably supplied by the Swans midfield, with Josh Kennedy leading the way with 41 touches, including a record-breaking 29 contested possessions.
“In the first half Carlton really came at us and after half-time we really won the contested ball, which really helps us forwards to be able to kick the goals,” Franklin said.
“All of our midfielders were on top and it was a great team effort by everyone on the ground and we go away pretty happy with ourselves.
“I think it was pretty much just the basics just to win the contested ball and run.
“I think once we got it on the outside we were able to run and to open them up a little bit, so I really just bring it back to those two things (contested ball and run).”
Kennedy’s 29 contested possessions saw him overtake former Swan Jude Bolton and Carlton champion Chris Judd, who shared the record on 28 until Saturday night’s match.
Franklin said he looked forward to hearing all about Kennedy’s record-breaking performance in the car on the way home from the match.
“I got a lift with him in tonight, so I’m sure he’ll tell me all about it on the way home,” he quipped.
“He’s had a sensational season and I love playing with him.”
