LANCE FRANKLIN has revealed he has had to seriously curtail his social life so as to avoid a club/pub scene which is becoming increasingly bold in its desire to get a piece of him.
In a rare and frank interview aired on Channel 9's The Footy Show last night, the Hawthorn forward also downplayed his emerging superstardom and reiterated his desire for a premiership over personal accolades. He also revealed how a former club great tried to correct his goal-kicking technique but that it failed spectacularly in his very next game.
The 21-year-old said he still has much to work to do despite leading the AFL's goal-kicking and his being one of the most hardest match-ups for opposition players. Franklin leads the league's goal tally with 66 at an average of almost five goals per game.
"I've still got a lot of improvement in my game; my ground-ball work, those sort of things, but I'm just happy to play footy," Franklin said.
Former Hawthorn great, Jason Dunstall, whose career tally of 1254 VFL/AFL goals is third only to Tony Lockett (1360) and Gordon Coventry (1299), was enlisted to help correct a perceived fault in Franklin's goal-kicking technique.
"Jason Dunstall came to the club about a year-and-a-half ago, just before the finals, to try to change my technique but (the very next game) I kicked 2.11 and he's never been back since," Franklin said.
Franklin was earlier considered a chance for the Brownlow Medal but those hopes were dashed when he accepted a reprimand over an incidental bump to an opponent's head. He said trying to fight the charge was never an option, as it would have increased his suspension from one match to two. He was happy to sit out just the one match.
And to avoid what young men his age take for granted: a social life outside football.
"You've got to realise the sacrifices AFL footballers make," Franklin said. "It's the thing you've got to do because it's definitely worth it; it's the best lifestyle but then it's got the (negative) things that come with it and some people find it hard, which I do, but other people mightn't, but if you love football, you just go with it."
Franklin said he has had to alter his behaviour after becoming more aware the public's desire to get close to him.
"I've stopped going out as much as I have in the first couple of years," he said. "I'm not the only one that does that; there's a lot of other AFL players that have to do exactly the same. The off-field stuff, it is very hard to go out and have a quiet drink with your team-mates.
"It has taken me a long time, it's nearly four years now and I'm just realising a lot of people do recognise me when I go out and it is hard. I'm still learning, it's taken me ages and it's going to take me ages to realise."
Of the hype surrounding his freakish talents, Franklin said he was just happy to have been drafted.
"(In the end) I suppose I just want to be remembered as a good footballer who worked really hard," he said.
DARREN MONCRIEFF
AboriginalFootball@westnet.com.au
Friday, July 11, 2008
Last Modified on 30/07/2008 22:43