Publicity surrounding a car accident in August last year was one "Buddy" media circus too far for Hawthorn star Lance Franklin.
His manager Liam Pickering said the incident set in train the astonishing chain of events that led to the controversial AFL deal with Sydney.
Pickering also revealed on Thursday that the nine-year, $10 million deal is back-loaded heavily.
He revealed Franklin would earn less in the first couple of years of the free-agency agreement than if the two-time Coleman Medallist had stayed at Hawthorn.
The AFL is investigating the deal after widespread condemnation from rival clubs, but Pickering is confident it will proceed.
Pickering told the AFL website that Franklin decided he wanted to move to Sydney after the car accident, which happened just before he was to start a licence suspension for a prior speeding offence.
"He started to get a little bit over Melbourne, if you like, when he had the media propped outside his house for a week or two," Pickering said.
"Then he (had) people dropping off stuff at his doorstep and then he couldn't stay at his own home for a two or three-week period.
"At that stage, it started to get a little bit on top of him.
"That what was when I think initially he thought `maybe the Melbourne bubble isn't for me'."
Pickering said Sydney, not Greater Western Sydney, was always Franklin's club of choice.
Swans chief executive Andrew Ireland and Pickering first spoke after Hawthorn's grand final loss last year to Sydney.
Pickering said he mentioned the Sydney offer on September 13 to Franklin, who told him he did not want to discuss it until Hawthorn's season was over.
Hawthorn won the flag last Saturday and the stunning deal was announced on Tuesday.
While Franklin turns 27 early next year, Pickering is confident the two-time Coleman Medallist will see out the unusually-long contract.
"I wasn't expecting initially for it to be nine years, but to get to where we wanted to get to, that was how they constructed the deal," Pickering said.
"When I first saw it, I thought `wow' ... but he's the sort of player I think can play that long.
"It's a back-ended deal ... his first couple of years, he'll be getting less money than he's getting at Hawthorn now.
"If he decides after seven years or eight years to retire, then he doesn't get the money.
"I'm very confident he's going to be able to play the nine years."
Pickering added he could understand why the Giants in particular are unhappy after they were considered the front runners to secure him.
He also insists the deal is above board.
"There's nothing we've done (that is) untoward, apart from probably upsetting the Giants," Pickering said.
"The money is in the cap, there are no third-party arrangements.
"You wouldn't accept it if you didn't think he could do it.
"It is a once-in-a-lifetime type deal for `Bud'."
In response to the widespread criticism of the deal, Pickering said it was a product of the new AFL landscape.
"People just have to get their heads around (the fact) this is free agency," he said.
"Everyone wanted this - the players, everyone had ticked it off, the clubs, the AFL."
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