Give Buddy two weeks

Lance Franklin has put off contract discussions until the end of the season. Source: Getty Images

COLLINGWOOD premiership captain Tony Shaw has urged Hawthorn to issue Lance Franklin a two-week contract ultimatum.

Shaw believes history shows that Franklin will leave for a huge offer after delaying contract talks, just as Tom Scully and Gary Ablett did before him.

He would still play Franklin until season's end, but says clarity on Franklin's position would give Hawthorn a three-month headstart on an aggressive trade or free agency strategy.

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Many of the biggest free agents and out-of-contract stars are being signed by their existing clubs, but the likes of Dale Thomas, Mark LeCras, Jack Riewoldt and Dustin Martin are unsigned.

Shaw says a hard-line stance will pay off for Hawthorn either way.

"When you look at Scully and Ablett, their negotiations were totally off. The guys who said they are postponing talks until the end of the year are gone,'' Shaw said.

"You give Franklin the ultimatum - this is our best offer. We can't do any more. You know what it is. You are either going to go for the money or stay. If you don't tell us within two weeks, we think you are going, and we are going down the track of getting a free agent in.

"I think they have to put the pressure on him. You have to get it out of the way now and do it because to wait until the end of the year, your whole recruiting process is held up until that point.

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"At the price Buddy Franklin is paid, you could get two solid performers, not just one. You could get two blokes on $500,000 or $600,000.''

Coach Alastair Clarkson has already signalled that he would play Franklin if he came to the club and admitted he was walking at season's end.

Hawthorn football director Jason Dunstall said recently the club would negotiate with Franklin whenever he was ready.

But as Essendon showed with free agency acquisition Brendon Goddard last year, many of those deals are clinched unofficially early in the year then revealed late.

Shaw argues Hawthorn's discussions with Franklin could be in-house, with any refusal from the Hawks spearhead to discuss the deal effectively becoming an admission he was leaving for Greater Western Sydney.