In 2013, Australian football was shaken by one of the sport’s biggest player moves when Lance “Buddy” Franklin, already a legendary forward at Hawthorn, chose to sign with the Sydney Swans.

Renowned player agent Liam Pickering recently looked back on his involvement in the high-stakes free agency move that took Franklin to Sydney, sharing previously unknown details via SEN on what he considers one of the AFL‘s most memorable moments.

Initially, Franklin’s move to Sydney was far from straightforward. As Pickering recalled, Buddy had always envisioned a move to Sydney, but his path was fraught with challenges, including the Swans’ acquisition of another high-profile key forward, Kurt Tippett, which almost derailed Franklin’s dream of joining the club.

“He went nuts at me because he was giving me the indication that ‘I want to go live in Sydney,'” Pickering said.

Throughout the process, Pickering was keenly aware of Franklin’s deep connection to Hawthorn. With premierships, strong friendships, and a place in the heart of the club’s forward line, leaving Hawthorn wasn’t easy for Franklin.

“Bud was so invested with Lewis, Roughead, and that crew,” Pickering shared.

“At one stage, I could just see him saying, ‘I can’t leave, I love these blokes.'”

The secrecy surrounding the deal also meant that the only people initially aware of the move were Pickering, Franklin, former Sydney CEO Andrew Ireland, football manager Dean Moore, and coach John Longmire.

“If it got out, there was no chance it was going to happen,” he said, sharing that the publicity would have triggered a quick response from the AFL to block the move.

The journey wasn’t without its detours, particularly with GWS. Hawthorn preferred dealing with the Giants, who were offering a lucrative six-year contract and players in return.

Pickering even recalled how GWS CEO Dave Matthews reacted after Pickering asked him to keep things quiet: “I reckon before I’d hung the phone up, there was a tweet saying, ‘We’re not interested in Buddy anymore.'”

Franklin’s nine-year, $10 million contract with the Swans became a landmark in AFL history, representing a new era for the league as players began to move more freely between clubs. The hefty sum required from Sydney was one of the boldest moves of the time.

“I said to Andrew, ‘if you want Bud, you’re going to need to find $10 million,'” Pickering recalled.

In the years that followed, Franklin left an indelible mark on the Swans, playing 172 games and kicking 486 goals in the red and white before retiring in 2023.

His accomplishments included joining the illustrious 1,000-goal club in 2022, All-Australian nods and captaincy, plus three further grand final appearances, cementing his legacy as one of the game’s greatest and ending one of the most compelling chapters in AFL history.