Raw deal for Hawks losing Buddy

Lance Franklin and soon-to-be Sydney teammate Adam Goodes show their true colours. Picture: Phil Hillyard Source: Philip Hillyard / HeraldSun

LANCE Franklin's manager says Hawthorn's compensation for losing its champion forward is grossly "inadequate".

With the premier having lost its six-time leading goalkicker, 2008 club champion and dual Coleman Medal winner at 26, Liam Pickering said he "felt for the Hawks" when Franklin agreed to join Sydney this week.

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Pickering said yesterday an end-of-first-round pick for Hawthorn — currently 19 after Collingwood lost free agent Dale Thomas to Carlton, for whom the Magpies could be compensated by pick No.12 — wasn't fair.

"The worst part (of the deal) is the lack of compensation Hawthorn is going to get through free agency," Pickering told SEN.

"They should get two first-round picks for Buddy Franklin, we all know that.

"The system is wrong. Pick (19) is inadequate for Buddy Franklin ... especially if you benchmark it against 'Daisy' Thomas.

"Dale Thomas shouldn't be anywhere near as valuable as Buddy, he's barely played for two years."

But Pickering stressed he and Franklin had only played within the existing rules.

He also said the veil of secrecy that surrounded the champion's Sydney deal was necessary to keep it from blowing apart.

Pickering kept one of footy's great secrets for almost a year until the Swans' nine-year, $10 million offer was brought into the public arena on Monday.

One day later — and only three days after Hawthorn's premiership party began — the AFL's most recent century goalkicker stunned the footy world by accepting the offer when most, including Greater Western Sydney, thought he would become a Giant.

"It probably blindsided the Giants and the Hawks, I understand that and that they'll be disappointed," Pickering said.

"But to get him there (Sydney), if that had leaked out earlier than it did, it wouldn't have got done. That's just the reality of it. We had to keep it tight.

"It had to be a keep-it-on-the-quiet type deal, because my view is that if had got out, it would have got stopped before it got put together."

Pickering said he was "very confident" the deal would be ratified by the AFL's investigators who are expected to give it the all-clear tomorrow.

"I was more than happy to tell them what happened," he said.

"It's pretty straightforward. The money is in the (Swans') cap, there's no third-party deal, there's no skulduggery."

"They just check the bona fides of the deal. They're going to do that with every big deal now — I'm assuming they'll do that with Dale Thomas."

Despite his secrecy, Pickering said he'd told both the Giants and Hawks through negotiations not to "put their eggs in one basket".

"I made it really clear all year ... Buddy knew the offers, he just didn't want to talk about it.

"Last week he just wanted to play in the Grand Final and play well. It wasn't a massive focus, but it did turn around pretty quickly after that."

FRANKLIN is expected to be announced this week as captain of the Indigenous All Stars team to tour Ireland later in the month.

The All Stars will gather in Melbourne later this week for a training run, before flying out on Saturday for two International Rules Tests - in Cavan on October 19 and at Dublin's Croke Park on October 26.

Franklin believes his 10-year contract with the Swans will be approved by the AFL before he joins the touring party.

The AFL recently named a 33-man squad for the tour, including Swans Adam Goodes, Lewis Jetta and Tony Armstrong. Franklin's premiership teammates Shaun Burgoyne and Brad Hill are also in the squad.

At the time Franklin said he expected the series to be "an unbelievable experience'' and "something we'll never forget''.

"The AFL's really backed us (indigenous footballers) in terms of this tour, so we're looking forward to getting over to Ireland," Franklin said.

The Irish team will be captained by Donegal skipper Michael Murphy, who has attracted interest from several AFL clubs in recent years.

Murphy played in the 2010 and 2011 series against Australia, and also toured Australia for international Rules series as a junior.

The Australian team will be coached by former Swans forward Mick O'Loughlin, while the Irish team will be under the guidance of former Gaelic star Paul Earley, who was the first Irish recruit to play Australian football, with one game for Melbourne in 1984.

with Warwick Green

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