HAWTHORN president Jeff Kennett expects the majority of the club's 2008 premiership team to remain at Waverley Park and not head to rival clubs in search of big bucks.

Kennett, speaking at Melbourne's season launch lunch on Friday, said when the time comes for the likes of Lance Franklin to renegotiate with the club near the end of their contracts, he expects the core of the group to remain in the brown and gold.

He added "in the main" there is desire for players to stay together.

"I'm not involved [in contract negotiations]. We leave that to those who are better equipped than I," Kennett said.

"You've got to make a decision in regards to do they want to play football together for a long period of time.

"And I think there is a growing culture at Hawthorn, as I think there is at Geelong, where they actually take decisions among themselves, so they can stay together as a team.”

Kennett, his Collingwood counterpart Eddie McGuire, Geelong patriarch Frank Costa and Melbourne president Jim Stynes held court at the Demons’ launch as they answered questions from Herald Sun columnist Mike Sheahan and Channel Nine footy reporter Craig Hutchison.

The considerable brains trust of top men from Melbourne clubs held an entertaining forum, an uncommon linking of arms in such a competitive age.

Kennett also confirmed he will have no problem whatsoever leaving the Hawks after six years in the top job, after the club changed its constitution regarding the length of its presidency to two terms (six years). This is his fourth year as president.

"Yes [I will be able to leave] very easily," he said.

"You've got to be very careful that the club is always your primary focus and you never run the risk of becoming bigger than the club."