The Sydney Swans sputtering season is reaching crisis point as a hamstring injury saw Lance Franklin withdraw from Saturday night’s losing match against the Giants.

Sydney’s injury woes see it sitting at 1-5 so far this year, with the Giants taking the derby match by 41 points, 18.12 (120) to 12.7 (79).

The Giants lost Phil Davis before the game with an ankle injury, but Sydney’s loss of Franklin proved too much to overcome – particularly as its crosstown rivals piled on 11 goals to five in the second half.

GWS stand-in skipper Stephen Coniglio led from the front, booting four goals to position his team with a 16-point lead at quarter-time.

Tim Taranto won the Brett Kirk medal as best on ground, but there was no shortage of contenders as GWS smacked the Swans 175-141 in contested possessions.

Coniglio finished with 24 disposals.

“He’s got to be the most-underrated player in the competition,” said former Swans coach and Fox Footy commentator Paul Roos. “He’s a genuine star.”

Led by emerging stars Taranto and Jacob Hopper, GWS had all the answers in the midfield.

Swans veterans Kieren Jack and Jarrad McVeigh, along with defenders Heath Grundy and Nick Smith, ruckman Sam Naismith and forward Daniel Menzel are all on on the sidelines.

Franklin’s hamstring injury has been played down by the club, but his recent fitness record is not promising.

“He’s pulled up a little bit sore Friday,” Swans assistant coach John Blakey told the club website. “We’ve had it checked it out obviously and scanned, and unfortunately he’s got a slight hamstring.

Another injury: ‘Buddy’ Franklin’s body is starting to wear out. Photo: AAP 

“So we’re expecting he might miss one or two weeks. It’s not a major hamstring tear.”

The four-time Coleman medallist underwent off-season groin surgery after he was restricted by a heel injury in 2018.

Buddy still kicked 57.43 last year in 19 games but struggled to train between matches.

He booted four goals against Richmond last week, climbing above Matthew Lloyd into outright seventh on the all-time VFL/AFL goalkicking list.

St Kilda loses match and Lonie

St Kilda’s flying start to the AFL season has been stymied by an injury to Jack Lonie and four goals from Adelaide’s Taylor Walker.

The Crows ground out a 29-point AFL win at Marvel Stadium, with the Saints losing young gun Lonie to a cringeworthy knee injury in the first quarter.

Adelaide led by 11 points at three-quarter time and kicked the first five goals of the last quarter to win 15.7 (97) to 10.8 (68) in front of 28,421 fans.

Lonie left the game late in the first quarter after his right leg buckled in a marking contest on the patch of turf that was replaced by ground staff following the controversial opening to the season.

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He will undergo scans despite the club quickly allaying initial fears of an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

Walker’s return to form continued, the Crows co-captain a constant threat in attack where Lachie Murphy also booted three majors. At the other end, Alex Keath starred with 21 touches and 14 marks.

Shane Savage led the way for St Kilda with 30 disposals while Seb Ross, who captained the side in place of the injured Jarryn Geary, also was influential with 26 touches.

Lions darken Suns’ season

After three early wins this season the Gold Coast Suns were brought back to earth with a 49-point loss to the Brisbane Lions at Metricon Stadium.

Gold Coast coach Stuart Dew believes his team didn’t match the fight of their Queensland rivals and fears some of his players might be coasting after their stronger-than-expected start to the year.

“Our consistency in preparation earlier in the year was spot on and then, today, I think it showed there must be some gaps and we need to find them and fix them,” Dew said.

AFL seasons aren’t rounds one to four, certainly not. We can all get better at that, us included as coaches.”

Things won’t get easier for the Suns next weekend when they travel to face premiers West Coast in Perth.

Munday marks 300 with a win

In Perth, Fremantle’s David Mundy celebrated his 300th game in style with a solid win against a plucky Western Bulldogs outfit.

David Mundy’s big night was a winning one.

The Dockers took the win 13.10 (88) to 9.15 (69) with Mundy helping set up the victory with two goals of his own.

“It was a fantastic game. We knew the Western Bulldogs would bounce back after last week, so it was a great tussle, they were really excellent,” Mundy told Channel Seven after the game.

“Fortunately we were able to get on top a little bit and finish off well.”

-with AAP