Don't miss any of the news involving the Swans as we bring you everything from the newspapers around the country from Wednesday 9th September.

Once again, we enter that twilight zone where natural curiosity about the particulars of Buddy Franklin's issues conflicts with a widely understood imperative for the football world to keep its distance. After all, it is probable that the spotlight and his condition are in some way related.

This latest episode could be regarded as untimely, but only if you think the premiership race matters as much as the human race. For now, the indefinite sidelining of Franklin becomes the latest item in catalogue of reminders of the flesh-and-blood frailty of the football people we idealise and lionise and imagine somehow to lead perfect lives. It has become one of the themes of the season.

The most tragic instances were the abrupt deaths of Adelaide coach Phil Walsh and of Cooper Ratten, the teenage son of former Carlton player and coach Brett Ratten. Those hurts are irreparable.

But there was also the moment when Geelong's Mitch Clark dissolved into tears and had to be consoled by coach Chris Scott after a match against Collingwood, though the Cats had won. Clark, as all know, is battling depression and even now has an uncertain future in the game. At another level, there was the incessant, mindless booing of Sydney superstar Adam Goodes, which took such a toll that he had to sit out a game and became a national and even slightly international matter. Goodes was accorded as much dignity as a punching bag.

Lance Franklin, one of the biggest names across Australia's major football codes, may not play a final this year due to a "serious" mental illness.

The five-time All-Australian forward and triple Coleman medallist has been ruled out of Sydney's qualifying final against Fremantle in Perth and it is unclear when he will return to the field.

The Swans did not elaborate on the nature of Franklin's issues on Tuesday other than to say he is being treated for an "ongoing mental health condition" and did not comment when asked if he was in a mental health facility.

Fairfax Media understands Franklin's teammates were told the star forward had suffered a suspected seizure in recent days.

Lance Franklin's omission due to mental illness has turned what already appeared a difficult assignment against Fremantle into close to mission impossible.

And Franklin will not be the only elite Swan missing for the qualifying final with All-Australian defender Nick Smith also ruled out, joining reigning club champion Luke Parker and co-captain Kieren Jack on the sidelines.

But the Swans remain supremely confident they can get the job done in Perth. Sydney were able to win against the odds in Adelaide in 2012 but they had close to a full team available.

Franklin's withdrawal is a massive blow to Sydney but the Swans have made adjustments to their game plan due to the superstar forward's absence due to a back and rib injury.

The Swans have in the past three weeks kicked their three highest scores of the season, with little to no contribution from the three-time Coleman medallist, but against vastly inferior opposition to the minor premiers.

Discussions around mental health have become more common in recent years, but Lance Franklin's admission remains a rare example of a sports person publicly revealing their struggle while in the prime of their career.

Where once afflictions such as anxiety or depression were swept under the carpet in sport and society, in recent years an increasing number of sportspeople have discussed their mental health problems on a public platform, including rugby league players Darius Boyd and Andrew Fifita.

However, the revelation on the eve of the AFL finals by Franklin, arguably the code's best player, is a significant moment in the push for recognition of issues that affect people right across society. And, according to one of Australia's leading sports psychologists, it could help Franklin recover more quickly.

"Over the past 20 years mental health has gone from being a closet issue to something that is OK to talk about," says Paul Penna, who has worked with some of the nation's top rugby league players, swimmers and golfers.

"The thing is that a lot of behaviours get masked in elite sport and it's still quite unusual for someone to come out and shed light on the fact that they're having challenges. It's very rare to have someone talking about it when they're in their prime."

WHILE he may appear bulletproof and untouchable on the field, Lance Franklin’s inner demons underline the impact mental health issues can have on anyone.

But, as the AFL’s biggest star seeks help for his personal issues, those who know the toll mental illness can have are praising Buddy’s and the Sydney Swans’ courage for addressing the matter so openly.

Franklin isn’t the first sports star to succumb to mental illness. Rugby league stars Paul Gallen, Darius Boyd, Andrew Fifita, Reni Maitua and the recently retired Brett Finch have all opened up about facing depression.

Olympic swimming champion Kieren Perkins didn’t want to get out of bed, such was the depths of the depression he endured.

Grant Hackett, who replaced Perkins as Australia’s 1500m world champion, battled addiction, and Ian Thorpe has described the crippling depression he lived with when keeping his sexuality a secret.

Former AFL star Wayne Schwass, who dealt with depression during a stellar career at North Melbourne and Sydney, applauded Franklin’s bravery and the move to step away from the spotlight to focus on his health.

IT’S a finals preparation unlike any other for the Swans with the double revelation the game’s highest profile player Lance Franklin is suffering both mental illness and mild epilepsy.

Just hours after revealing Franklin would miss Saturday’s qualifying final against Fremantle in Perth because of a mental health problem, Sydney also made public Buddy’s epilepsy.

Although the epilepsy and the mental health issues aren’t directly linked, the stress of the ongoing illness may have contributed to his emotional decline.

It doesn’t come with an address. You don’t know where it lives or what it looks like. You could be standing next to it, sitting across a bus from it. It might smile and run about. You might sleep next to it.

It might play golf like you pray you could every night on your knees. But simple two-metre putts almost make it weep. You don’t see it, you are not told about it. Might swim a world record every time it dives into the water to be swallowed up, cocooned. Out of it, dry and the chill returns.

You have seen it play cricket. It is a lonely world out in the centre. The bowler is frighteningly quick. Fieldsmen take catches although the ball has gone past them. It is almost impossible to believe the ball has been intercepted, stuck in the palm of a hand. Out, out, out. It isn’t resolved no matter how many hours it spends in the nets. The mood darkens with the evening sky.

It is all around you like the flu in winter though it doesn’t sneeze. Doesn’t announce itself. Over time you might see a difference. The instant smile, the easy laugh have had their hours cut. They don’t leap to life as spontaneously or as regularly as they once did. My, look who’s in a bad mood now.

You talk to your friends. Have they noticed it? There’s something wrong. But what’s the problem?

Depression opens the batting, swims the first leg, runs the 400m, drives 380m, drops a volley on a sixpence, takes a screamer and boots a long goal. No one is immune. Sensible people aren’t. Silly people aren’t. Not your aunt or your parent. Not your child. Nor your centre half-forward. Not even Buddy Franklin.

No, not even Buddy. The huge key forward who gallops around the attack like a colt loose in a paddock. Buddy is charging at the ball, grabbing it from the air, sprinting quicker than anyone to get on to his left foot and then, bang. The ball soars towards goal after Buddy all but kicked it into another solar system. Here is a man with no physical limitations, no sense that he is not the dominant player on the ground with gifts as rare as they are spectacular. He is fearless. Was fearless.

THE Swans $10 million superstar Buddy Franklin is facing the fight of his life after revealing he is stricken with a “mental health” condition and battles epilepsy.

As the sporting world rallied behind the AFL champion, Franklin has taken indefinite “time out” from the game he loves to deal with the crisis. The bombshell, on the eve of the finals series, comes just days after Franklin collapsed at his favourite Bondi Beach cafe.