In summary:

Star Sydney forward Lance Franklin produced another glittering season in his 14^th AFL campaign.

The four-time Coleman medallist booted 57 majors to top the Swans’ goal-kicking leaderboard for the fifth season in a row.

He kicked bags of eight (Round 1), six (Round 20) and five (Round 22) on the way, as well as his 300^th Swans goal and 900^th career major.

Franklin iced his outstanding season with an eighth All-Australian honour and his first All-Australian captaincy.

But while the 31-year-old’s season delivered another long list of individual highlights, Franklin relished the opportunity to lead a fresh-faced Swans forward line.

Tom Papley, Will Hayward, Ben Ronke and Tom McCartin have played just 133 games between them and are all 22 or younger.

Swans coach John Longmire referred to 290-game champion Franklin as a “teacher in the crèche in the forward 50” after Sydney’s thrilling win over North Melbourne in Round 17.

What the numbers say:

Games: 19

Goals: 57

Kicks: 241

Handballs: 47

Disposals: 288

Marks: 127

AFL Fantasy: 91.7 (average)

Best performance:

Round 1: Sydney Swans v West Coast Eagles, Optus Stadium

Franklin got off to a rocketing start in the race for the Coleman Medal when he snared a season-high eight goals as Sydney toppled West Coast by 29 points. The 917-goal great also collected 21 possessions and nine marks to earn a perfect 10 AFL Coaches’ Association votes.

Milestones:

Kicking 300th Swans goal

Franklin became just the second player in VFL/AFL history to kick 300 goals for two clubs when he bagged three majors in Sydney’s win over Fremantle in Round 9. He kicked 580 goals in Hawthorn colours before donning the red and white ahead of season 2014. Sydney and St Kilda great Tony Lockett is the only other man to have kicked 300 goals for two clubs.

Playing 100^th Swans game

Franklin notched his 100^th Swans game as Sydney faced Richmond at Etihad Stadium in Round 15. The two-time premiership hero played 182 matches for the Hawks and became just the 44^th player in VFL/AFL history to play 100 games for two clubs.

Kicking 900^th career goal

Franklin became just the ninth player in VFL/AFL history to kick 900 career goals as Sydney edged North Melbourne in Round 17. He finished with three goals for the afternoon as the Swans clinched a heart-stopping six-point win.

Leaping Leigh 

Franklin surpassed Hawthorn great Leigh Matthews on the all-time VFL/AFL goal-kicking leaderboard as the Swans beat the Giants in Round 22. The towering forward slotted four goals for the afternoon and now sits eighth on 917 majors, ahead of Matthews (915) and on the heels of Essendon star Matthew Lloyd (926).

What they said:

Franklin

“We’ve got such a young forward line and I’m definitely the oldest guy up there at this stage. It’s been me and pretty much all the kids and I’ve enjoyed every minute of working with those boys. It’s an exciting future for the footy Club.”

Forwards coach Steve Johnson 

“His ability to play consistent footy week in, week out was unbelievable. That culminated in an All-Australian guernsey and captaincy, which was a great credit to him.” 

In pictures:

Lance Franklin poses for a photo with three Indigenous kids in La Perouse ahead of Marn Grook at the SCG. Photo: Phil Hillyard.

Lance Franklin and his good mate Kenny Williams share a special moment after Sydney's win over Collingwood in Round 20.

Lance Franklin lets out a roar after booting a goal in Sydney's win over Melbourne in Round 21.

'Teacher in the creche': Lance Franklin poses for a photo with the Swans' young forwards. Photo: Phil Hillyard.

Lance Franklin is congratulated for earning the 2018 All-Australian captaincy.

Stay tuned for more season reviews at http://www.sydneyswans.com.au/ over the coming weeks.