The only job in the AFL tougher than shutting down Lance Franklin might be containing the escalating hype over the Hawthorn forward.

The Hawks are trying desperately, denying requests for anyone associated with the club to talk about "Buddy" in the wake of his heroics in the opening rounds. But despite their efforts, the lid is well and truly off, with the 21-year-old superstar's performances prompting a wave of plaudits from the game's luminaries.

Former Hawks great Dermott Brereton compared him to Gary Ablett snr in the way he transcends the physical limitations of most mortals, while multi-premiership coaches Leigh Matthews and Kevin Sheedy labelled him a "freak".

Most agree that no player has the physical attributes to match him.

In fact, there might not be a player in AFL history who could match Franklin's combination of size, strength, skill and athleticism.

His long legs propel him at enormous speed and his endurance is great enough that he could comfortably slot into the midfield.

Factor in his size - 196cm and 101kg - leap and reach, and any player with the requisite athleticism struggles to combat him in the air.

His ability to consistently slot goals on his left boot from outside 50m adds to his potency, allowing him to make long leads outside the arc and countering opposition defences' attempts to blunt him by crowding the area close to goal.

That blend has Franklin on track to become the first Hawk to kick 100 goals in a season since the club's all-time leading goalkicker Jason Dunstall in 1996.

His showmanship, confidence, love of the big occasion and crowd-rousing capability evokes memories of Brereton, a predecessor in the No.23 jersey. Franklin might eventually join that pair in the pantheon of Hawks greats. Hawthorn's young 2008 squad seems headed into an era of regular title contention.

And Franklin's brief finals record indicates he will rise to the occasion when they do. His finals debut, against Adelaide in a sudden-death clash at Telstra Dome last season, announced his arrival as a big-time performer in extraordinary style. His seven goals inspired a three-point win, the last three in a nail-biting final term, including the match-winner from outside 50m with seven seconds left.

Just as significant is his increasing consistency.

In his first two seasons, 2005 and 2006, he managed 52 goals in 34 games, while last year he kicked 73 in 22 matches, with at least one goal in every game played. This season, he has 36 in seven matches, including six in last weekend's win over Collingwood.

Franklin has looked more comfortable using his pace to burn off opponents and mark in space on the flanks. But, as he grows in strength and contested marking nous, he will get more touches closer to goal, making him even harder to combat.

Even before he was drafted in 2004, Franklin was viewed as a potential match-winner of freakish ability, but that did not stop some clubs overlooking him on draft day, when he was the fifth chosen.

In his first few seasons at the club, the Hawks assigned him a more experienced player as a mentor, first John Barker and then Ben Dixon, with their role extending to accompanying him into nightclubs and bars. Perhaps those temperament and off-field concerns explain why the Hawks have been so guarded in talking publicly about their prize forward.