MELBOURNE'S football fishbowl and constant media harassment pushed Lance Franklin to the Sydney Swans, says his manager Liam Pickering.
Speaking to AFL.com.au's Gillette Trade Radio, Pickering said from the moment Franklin lost his license for speeding in July, 2012, his fate was all but sealed.
He said Franklin was under such scrutiny he could not live in his own house for two to three weeks and decided he'd had enough of living in Melbourne.
"Remember Buddy lost his license for speeding and the car crash (August, 2012, where he was uninjured) and he started to get a bit over Melbourne when he had the media propped outside his house for a week or two," Pickering said.
"At that stage it got a bit on top of him."
Pickering said the Swans were always Franklin's club of choice.
Pickering said he made an initial approach to the Swans over a year ago, but their formal offer came through on only September 13.
Despite the interest from Greater Western Sydney – who offered Franklin a six-year deal worth $1.2 million per year – the two-time premiership player had his heart set on the Swans.
He wanted to play finals.
Pickering said Franklin's contract was back-ended and involved no third party arrangements.
He was confident the star forward would play all nine years of the deal.
"His first couple of years he'll be getting less money than he's getting at Hawthorn now," Pickering said.
"If he decides after seven or eight years to retire, he doesn't get the money. Simple as that."
Pickering said he felt for both the Giants and Hawks, but said this was the reality of free agency.
Hawthorn still has the right to match the Swans' offer, but that won't happen.
"I think people just have to get their heads around free agency," Pickering said.
"Everyone wanted this. The players wanted it, everyone had ticked it off, the clubs, the AFL. This is free agency and how it works."
Franklin is unlikely to attend Hawthorn's best and fairest dinner, but Pickering said he would front a press conference at some stage to explain himself in full.
