LANCE Franklin is the most sublimely talented player in the AFL. He is quick, he is strong, he is skilled and he is confident.
At 21, with 57 games and a massive finals performance to his credit, it seems the only thing standing between him and absolute superstar status is the alter-ego known as "Buddy".
I first met the kid at the Portsea Pub after the swim classic in 2005. I'd heard of this supremely talented junior that the Hawks had picked up and was instantly struck by his size for such a young guy.
He introduced himself as Buddy and he did so without arrogance but with a cheeky, confident manner. It seemed to come from a position of knowing that he had the goods and it was just a matter of time before he would be "the man". All this from a footballer who was yet to get a kick in the competition but, as I and many others have discovered, it seems his confidence was well placed.
One-on-one he is impossible to curb. There is no player in the competition who has the tools to stop his influence on a match when he chooses to impose it.
He can beat you in the air and is a strong mark one-on-one. He can get you on the lead and he times his presentations perfectly. When the ball hits the deck he can challenge any player on the ground in a crumbing duel.
Furthermore, his athletic attributes are undeniable. He is too quick and agile for those strong enough to challenge him in a body-to-body contest and he is too strong for those who have the aerobic capacity and speed to compete with him.
Take note of the word "compete", because it seems he has very few peers who can challenge him in the running department.
Reports surfaced this pre-season of Buddy's rise and rise in terms of his work-rate and ability to repeat speed efforts. Until now, it seems he has toyed with his limits in relation to his awesome athletic ability and now he is he is toying with his teammates.
One story had him pitted against the best half-dozen runners at Hawthorn. Unable to stay with the young thoroughbred in a particularly tough running session, Shane Crawford and Tim Clarke et al devised a plan.
They decided to divide and conquer; each would take a turn to race Buddy to win that particular 150-metre effort while the others would conserve some energy for their turn.
After the first two, which he won comfortably, the penny dropped for Buddy and he dug deeper to blow his elite running teammates away. If these realisations continue, his teammates will be very pleased.
His progression on the field has also been moving in the right direction.
A return of 52 goals in 34 games during his first two years was fair given the Hawks struggled in each of those seasons.
With just five wins in each of '05 and '06, the Hawks were criticised for over-possessing the football in the back half. It resulted in numerous turnovers and inevitably slow forward ball movement.
Even the most experienced and cagey forward is tested by such conditions, and with little space to lead and extra opposition numbers back, the rookie Franklin was unable to function efficiently.
Last year, with more fluent ball movement and a forward structure that shared the load, Buddy blossomed to become the ace in the Hawks attack.
For the opposition to give itself a chance of stopping him, there has to be mass pressure through the midfield to force the Hawks wider and to slow the ball movement.
I'd want Buddy's direct opponent to play in front of him, but the defender is going to need support around him so he's not left one-on-one.
So far, Buddy hasn't proven himself to be a great pack mark, and if you create those scenarios where he's outnumbered, I'm not sure if he gets frustrated but the free-kick count against him increases alarmingly.
If he's not in best position, he tends to be a bit gung-ho. He has to learn that if you're not going to win the contest you have to at least draw it.
But this really is nitpicking. He's a good defensive forward, and on the whole his performances are on the up.
But Franklin still has a long way to go to reach his potential.
If there has been a knock on Franklin it has been the discrepancy between his best and worst performances. Even in his stellar 2007, he finished just sixth in the Hawks best and fairest.
The reasons a player of his sublime football talent was left until No. 5 in his 2004 draft are the same reasons scribes are cautious to declare Buddy as a guaranteed star.
Leading into the draft that year, Franklin dominated in a series of games against the touring Irish team and looked the best talent in the land.
His performances in the under-18s carnival, however, were equally as notable for the opposite reason. The question was asked: "Has it gone to his head?"
Come draft day, even Hawthorn weren't totally sold on the answer, taking Jarryd Roughead at No. 2 and risking losing Franklin before their next pick.
The way Franklin has developed since is a positive sign, and to be part of what is proving to be a solid culture out at Waverley will give him the very best opportunity.
He has yet to prove he has the mental and emotional application necessary to make the most of his prodigious natural talents. That's the biggest question mark.
The answer won't be found entirely on the field, either.
While he has not been embroiled in a major off-field incident, he has been on the edge of quite a few. Even the most talented player needs to toe the team line in today's professional game. The choice is his to go one way or the other.
A high level of natural talent brings expectations beyond the norm. To be part of a great team, the star cannot afford to be "off" when he is not "on".
The best players in any era have always displayed a high low-level performance.
We have all, in some way, been caught up in the Buddy spell. Unfulfilled talent is common and potential a dirty word but we have all had a taste of what he has and want more.
