Criticism of Lance Franklin's performance against Melbourne as "selfish" is wide of the mark, according to Sydney coach John Longmire, who says the superstar forward was only guilty of trying too hard to swing the match.

Franklin was below his best in Thursday night's 22-point defeat, kicking 1.3 and making several poor decisions in choosing to take low-percentage shots on goal when he could have passed to a teammate. It prompted former Richmond and Western Bulldogs coach Terry Wallace to describe it as "one of the more selfish games" he'd seen him play.

Quiet night: Lance Franklin was below his best against Melbourne but coach John Longmire has defended him from criticism that he played a selfish game. Credit:AAP

Longmire leapt to his star forward's defence on Monday, saying his capacity to bring other players into the game was never in question. "He was just wanting to win," he said.

"In the end, as all players do, you make some decisions that you'd like to look back on and do again. It's as simple as that I think.