Lance Franklin has signed a $10m deal to move to the Sydney Swans in 2014. Source: Getty Images
LANCE "Buddy" Franklin is officially a Sydney Swan after the AFL approved the deal and Hawthorn opted not to match the extraordinary offer from the NSW club.
Franklin’s nine-year, $10 million deal is the biggest ever seen in the AFL and was only accepted by the AFL with a number of conditions and scrutiny of the paper work.
The Swans announced tonight that Franklin, 26, would be moving to Sydney next year.
Coach John Longmire said the forward was worthy of the extraordinary contract.
"Lance is a champion player and we are really excited that he wants to continue his outstanding career at the Swans,” he said.
“We understand that nine-year contracts are rare in AFL football, but so too are players of the quality of Lance Franklin.
“As a club we will always seek to improve our playing list and we are confident Lance will be a great fit.
"For all our members, it is going be really exciting to see Buddy running around in red and white next year," Longmire said.
Franklin played 182 games with Hawthorn, winning two premierships and kicked 580 goals.
The AFL approved the controversial deal earlier in the afternoon and signalled it would possibly end bonuses given to Sydney players for cost of living.
The league ruled that the specific financial commitment for each year of the nine-season contract will count towards the Swans' salary cap, even if Franklin retires earlier and that the club has to present its books to the AFL every year.
The AFL also demanded assurances the club had done long-term financial planning and medical reviews of Franklin.
Franklin had been offered $7.2m to join the Swan’s city rivals Greater Western Sydney, with many saying he could not turn down the six-year deal, but that was trumped by the Swans.
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