Lance Franklin sharp for Coleman No2 From: The Australian
July 26, 2011 LANCE Franklin has firmed as favourite to win his second Coleman Medal but there could still be a twist or two in the tale.
With six rounds of the home-and-away season to go, four other players remain within six goals of the Hawthorn superstar. And that group doesn't include pint-sized forwards Stephen Milne and Eddie Betts, who booted match-winning hauls of eight goals for St Kilda and Carlton respectively at the weekend.
Franklin moved to 51 goals, one clear of last year's leading goalkicker Jack Riewoldt, with a five-goal tally against Melbourne on Sunday. Richmond's Riewoldt also bagged three against the Cats.
The consensus is that Riewoldt won't top the goalkicking again because of the Tigers' flagging form, although it is worth noting that didn't do him any harm last season. What might be more relevant is that Riewoldt and Richmond have only five games to go in the home-and-away season -- one less than Franklin's Hawks.If team form is relevant, then surely third-placed Travis Cloke is still right in the running. He managed only two goals in Collingwood's win over Gold Coast -- for a season tally of 45.
The general perception that Cloke is a poor set shot for goal may make it hard for many punters to take him seriously as a Coleman winner. But the truth is that he gets plenty of scoring opportunities courtesy of the blue-chip service he receives from the Collingwood midfield and his rare talent for taking contested marks.
A goal further back on 44 is West Coast centre half-forward Josh Kennedy -- which is no great surprise -- and Carlton's Andrew Walker -- which is a huge shock. Less than a year ago Carlton was considering whether to trade Walker. But the former No2 draft pick has been reborn this season as a medium-sized forward, booting four more against Essendon on Saturday night as well as reeling in an exceptional high mark.
Cloke and Kennedy each have six games to play in the regular season, one more than Walker.
What is certain is that for the 12th time in the past 13 years, a double-figure tally will be good enough to claim this year's medal.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/sport/lance-franklin-sharp-for-coleman-no2/story-e6frg7mf-1226101634811
