Pressure from Hawks, Buddy in no hurry

In-demand AFL superstar Lance Franklin has reiterated he wants to remain a Hawk, but says the AFL club is putting some pressure on him to sign.

Hawthorn star forward Lance Franklin

Superstar Lance Franklin insists he won't make a decision on his future until the end of the season. (AAP)

Lance Franklin says he's feeling pressure from Hawthorn to decide his future as the star forward continues to insist he won't make a decision until the end of the AFL season.

The in-demand Hawk, eligible for free agency at the end of this year, has put contract talks on hold as Greater Western Sydney hover with an offer believed to be in the vicinity of $10-12 million.

Franklin maintained on Thursday that his preferred option was to stay at Hawthorn "at this stage".

But he acknowledged his unwillingness to make that commitment a firm one wasn't sitting comfortably with Hawthorn.

"There's been a little bit of pressure and expectation from the football club, in terms of signing," Franklin told reporters in Sydney.

"But for me, I've always had that mindset of wanting to do it at the end of the season."

The Hawks star was in the Harbour City for the naming of the AFL's International Rules squad.

GWS chief executive David Matthews was among the crowd at the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence in Redfern for the announcement.

While Franklin said he had no immediate plans to meet with Giants officials, he was happy to keep stirring the pot about this season's most-discussed player contract issue.

He joked about catching up with former Hawthorn assistant coach Leon Cameron, now the Giants' coach-in-waiting, while in Sydney.

And he also talked up his fondness for the city.

"Everyone loves Sydney, don't they?" he said with a grin.

The Hawks have steadfastly maintained the same public stance throughout the season, that they will respect the 26-year-old's right to wait to make a decision after the season.

Hawks president Andrew Newbold reiterated that in July.

"He wants to put it off until the end of the year. I've said if it was proving to be a distraction we might need to be more proactive. But the fact is we are 13-2 and the group is really well connected and going well," Newbold said at the time.

"The ball's in his court."

Franklin said his current trip to Sydney was purely focused on Friday night's top-four clash with the Swans at ANZ Stadium.

"I'm here to play Sydney and get the win, and then get back and play finals," he said.

The two-time Coleman medallist said winning another premiership, to go with his 2008 medal, would not make a difference in his final verdict.


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Source: AAP


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