Usually playing as a ruckman, he was a vital member of South Melbourne's 1909 premiership team and kicked a goal in the low scoring Grand Final.

Franks had a poor disciplinary record, and missed the 1907 Grand Final due to suspension he received for striking Carlton's Doug Gillespie.

Following an extremely rough match (in which spectators invaded the ground and took part in the all-in melee between players and officials) between South Melbourne and Carlton on 28 May 1910, the field umpire, Lawrence Tulloch, reported the South Melbourne half-forward flanker Dick Casey for charging and striking the much taller Carlton player Jim Marchbank.

[11] On hearing a wide range of views, and after an hour's deliberation the VFL decided that it did have the power to deal with such a case.

Found guilty of the charge of "insult and assault" lodged by Tulloch, and due to the ambiguity of the VFL's decision, Franks was (apparently) suspended for life – the matter was soon clarified, and the VFL specified the penalty as 33 matches[13] — the longest suspension for such a charge in the league's history.