“I will be all in”: Lance Franklin leaves door open for AFL return

1000-goal legend Lance Franklin has stated there's "no doubt" he will one day return to football.

The Hawthorn and Sydney great called time on his decorated 354-game career last year - 19 years on from being drafted to the Hawks out of Western Australia.

Injury unfortunately curtailed Franklin's final year at AFL level, with the eight-time All-Australian stepping away from the game since to enjoy life with his family in Queensland.

But Franklin will be back in football circles, with the champion forward revealing to News Corp that he'll eventually return to the game that saw him rise to superstardom.

While a timeline or role is yet to be determined, Franklin does see himself back in the AFL landscape during his post-career.

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"Footy is all I have known playing for nearly 20 years," he said.

"At some stage there is no doubt I will get back involved, but it has been a nice position to be in to actually have a year away from the game and just take a big deep breath and spend this time with my family.

"But there is no doubt that I will be back in the game at some stage.

"I am not sure (on how I'll return), and that is something that I will have a think about, speak to the right people, work out exactly what I want to do because if I am involved at some level, I will be all in."

Coaching could be the path for Franklin, with this century's greatest forwards able to bring unparalleled experience and nous to any team in need.

The 37-year-old has mentors and mates across the league, with ex-coach Alastair Clarkson at North Melbourne, former mentor Chris Fagan at Brisbane, premiership teammate Sam Mitchell leading his old side Hawthorn and an array of current assistants and key figures also having ties to Franklin across his near-two-decade reign.

Franklin claimed four Coleman Medals across his career and led his team's goalkicking in 13 separate seasons, six times with the Hawks and seven as a Swan.

He finished his time in the AFL as one of just six players in the competition to boot over 1000 goals, finishing ahead of Gary Ablett snr and Doug Wade to sit fourth on the all-time goals list.