Sydney superstar Lance Franklin says he has plenty of quality football left in his 32-year-old legs.
The eight-time All Australian will join an exclusive club of six Indigenous players to have reached the 300-game milestone when the Swans close out their season against a revitalised St Kilda on Saturday.
Sidelined since round 14 with a hamstring injury, Franklin told reporters on Thursday he was fully recovered and raring to go.
The four-time Coleman medallist said he was also confident of playing the remaining four seasons of his nine-year mega-deal and is sure he will finish his career at the Swans.
“It’s been a frustrating year … but I finally got my body right and I’m ready to get out there,” Franklin said.
“I’m definitely very proud – to play 300 games, you’ve got to be doing something right.
“I’m very confident I’ve still got some really good football in front of me … I’ve got no doubt I can get back to my best next year.”
Franklin’s milestone game will coincide with possible farewell matches for fellow club greats Kieran Jack and Jarrad McVeigh – two of the four premiership-winning Swans hanging up their boots this season.
“The boys are really excited and I think definitely on Saturday it will be a very emotional day for the club,” he said.
“They’ve been two unbelievable players for our footy club over a long period of time.
“There’ll no doubt be some sad faces in the crowd but it’s all about showing our respect to what they’ve done for us.”
Adding to the occasion, ex-Sydney tough nut Dan Hannebery – a premiership teammate of McVeigh and Jack – will be there in a St Kilda jersey, trying to spoil the party.
“Is he playing this week, is he?” Franklin joked.
“It will be good, obviously he’s changed clubs but it will be quite fitting him being here for my 300th and the other boys playing their last game.”
This season marks the first time Sydney haven’t made the finals in 10 years, something that Franklin, who won two flags with Hawthorn before joining the Swans at the end of 2013, said was a strange feeling.
But Franklin said a silver lining was that emerging players like teenagers Tom McCartin and Nick Blakey had received a taste of the big league, something which would hold the club in good stead.
The explosive forward, who will look to become the sixth VFL/AFL footballer to boot 1000 goals (currently 940) next season, believed the Swans could bounce back quickly next season.
“It’s going to be hard watching (the finals),” he said.
“But the biggest thing for us is, we’ve got a young group, but we’ve got a lot of experience too, so I can definitely see us popping back up into finals next year.”