 He made his debut for the Sydney Swans in the round 1 Sydney Derby against cross-town rivals Greater Western Sydney at Spotless Stadium, and finished the game with one goal in a shock loss.After a slow start for both Franklin and the Swans, when they lost three of their first four matches, Franklin returned to form against Fremantle at the SCG, kicking four second-half goals in what would be the first of a club record-equalling twelve successive wins, during which he twice narrowly avoided suspension.In round 8 against Hawthorn at ANZ Stadium, Franklin kicked seven successive behinds in the first three quarters, before kicking two fourth-quarter goals to seal an upset victory in Franklin's first match against his former side.