Sydney coach John Longmire expects his star forward Lance Franklin to be better for his opening-round run despite a quiet start to his AFL campaign.

Franklin, who didn’t play any pre-season games after undergoing groin surgery, received little service in the Swans’ 17-point season-opening loss to the Western Bulldogs, touching the ball just seven times and kicking 1.2.

“Lance’s month of training is more than what he did for the entire home-and-away season last year before he played on the weekend, so he’s actually ahead of schedule in regards to his preparation,” Longmire said.