Hawthorn star forward Lance Franklin says he is frustrated by the level of attention he faces off the field and has resorted to limiting the amount he goes out in public.

The gun 21-year-old, who is leading the AFL's goal-kicking tally, also hit out at those who have suggested he is a party boy at heart, whose ability to maintain discipline off the field could be the biggest obstacle to him cementing a reputation as one of the game's greats.

"Sometimes it just surprises me because these people don't actually know me personally," Franklin said of such suggestions.

"People are having a go at me when they actually don't know me on a personal basis.

"People have obviously got their point of view about me, but if you don't know me, you don't know me personally, I don't know how people can make assumptions to be honest.

"It does surprise me sometimes when that does pop up, it does get to me sometimes when I do hear it.

"I like to go out and have a beer, there's nothing wrong with that, that's what sometimes does surprise me.

"I'm no different to any other guy on the list that will go out and have a few beers with my mates."

He said in contrast to a widely held view of him as arrogant and outgoing, he was actually a shy person.

Asked about a comment made earlier this year by former North Melbourne premiership captain Wayne Carey that he would have to lock himself at home to avoid the unwelcome attention that would come because of his star status, Franklin replied: "That's what I've done."

"It is unfair but they are the things you've got to do, it's definitely worth it, it's definitely worth it," Franklin told the Nine Network in a rare interview.

"It's the best lifestyle, but then it's got the (negative) things that come with it and some people find it hard, which I do, but other people mightn't."

Franklin came under the spotlight earlier this season over allegations - denied by the Hawks - that he threw a drink over two women at a nightclub and verbally abused them.

He maintained he could not have behaved any differently to what he did at the time, although he declined to go into details.

But he said he had been forced to alter his behaviour as he became more aware of what a magnet he was for public attention.

"I've stopped going out as much as I have in the first couple of years," he said.

"You've got to make a lot of sacrifices to be an AFL footballer and I'm not the only one that does that, there's a lot of other AFL players that have to do exactly the same.

"The off-field stuff, it is very hard to go out and have a quiet drink with your team-mates.

"It's taken me a long time, it's nearly four years now and I'm just realising a lot of people do recognise me when I go out and it is hard.

"I'm still learning, it's taken me ages and it's going to take me ages to realise."

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