Star Sydney Swans forward Lance Franklin’s 300^th AFL match headlines the latest edition of Hot Topics ahead of Saturday afternoon’s clash with St Kilda. 

A Buddy big game

Franklin has pieced together a resume rivalled by few over the course of his 299-game career, winning two premierships, claiming four Coleman medals and collecting eight All Australian blazers. The West Australian has also booted 940 goals to be sitting seventh on the all-time VFL/AFL goal-kicking leaderboard. Franklin will become just the 89^th 300-match player in the game’s history.

Champions to say farewell

The footy world is set to catch Kieren Jack in the flesh, and possibly fellow club great Jarrad McVeigh, one last time. Jack announced on Monday he’d play his 256^th and final AFL match in the Saints clash, bringing to close a magnificent career stamped with a premiership, All Australian honours and a Bob Skilton Medal. The 32-year-old is also a former Swans co-captain and a member of the greatest NSW team of all time. Few believed the 176-centimetre, 72-kilogram kid who arrived at the Swans with an ugly ‘around-the-corner’ kick could cut it at the top level, but he will be remembered as one of the greatest to have donned the red and white. McVeigh, himself a product of the Pennant Hills Demons, is desperate to overcome a calf strain for the SCG match. The 34-year-old hasn’t featured in the AFL since Round 12 and will need to prove his fitness at Thursday’s training session if he is to face the Saints. If McVeigh plays his 325^th AFL game he will join Jude Bolton as the second-most-capped Swan of all time.

Aliir's 50th

He was born to Sudanese parents in a Kenyan refugee camp, but Aliir Aliir is now on the verge of his 50^th AFL match. The 24-year-old has blossomed into one of the most dangerous intercept defenders in the competition since debuting in Round 6, 2016, but in recent times he’s played important roles in the ruck. The exciting prospect’s ruck-roving was pivotal to Sydney’s emphatic win against Melbourne at the MCG last Friday night, and he’s now likely to meet St Kilda big man Rowan Marshall on Saturday.

A dominant run

The Swans lay claim to a nine-game winning streak against the Saints in a dominant run stretching back to Round 17, 2012. Sydney beat St Kilda by an average of 56.11 points per game in that time, with its most comprehensive victory a 97-point win in Round 22, 2015. John Longmire’s men cruised to a 71-point win at Docklands Stadium when the clubs last squared off in Round 12 last season.

Pride Game

The Swans and Saints will play the fourth Pride Game for premiership points in history on Saturday. The Rainbow Swans are the club’s official LGBTI (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Trans Intersex) supporters group, and the LGBTIQ community is of huge significance to the club. The Swans are also approaching two years since the club launched its Diversity Action Plan (DAP). The DAP is a joint initiative of the Board, staff, players and community leaders, and among the four pillars it addresses is LGBTI pride. All 22 Swans will be wearing Pride socks in the clash with the Saints.