Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson plans to appeal to the AFL umpiring department to give star forward Lance Franklin a fairer go from whistleblowers.

On top of losing what looked an unloseable game to Geelong on Saturday, Clarkson was frustrated that Franklin got no joy from the umpires despite being "monstered" by Cats defenders.

Clarkson credited Andrew Mackie, Harry Taylor and Matthew Scarlett for the way they played Franklin at times, but said the Coleman medallist deserved support from umpires but got none.

"He just gets monstered," Clarkson said after Hawthorn conceded the last five goals and lost 15.9 (99) to 14.14 (98) at the MCG.

"There's so many tiggy-touchwood free kicks that are given in the middle of the ground you think 'Gee, that could have been a free kick and that couldn't', and then more obvious ones at one end of the ground aren't paid.

"That's very, very frustrating.

"We need to work through that with the umpiring department and try to rationalise why Buddy (Franklin) has to earn his free kicks in such a tough manner.

"We'll work through that with Jeff (AFL umpiring director Jeff Gieschen) and Rowan (umpires coach Rowan Sawers) and see what comes out of it, but we weren't too pleased with the way that he was monstered today."

Clarkson said Franklin was frustrated, but despite bringing up his concerns unprompted, refused to elaborate any further.

Franklin kicked five goals but was not awarded one free-kick on Saturday (he conceded one).

This season he has been awarded just 13 and conceded 35, while his career tally from 98 games stands at a lop-sided 80-205 against.

Franklin let his skill do the talking in the first half, when he dobbed a long-range set shot in the first quarter, booted a superb major on the run in the second and then rolled one through end over end soon after.

But even though his first opponent Taylor and second opponent Scarlett both went off injured, Mackie did a good job and kept him to one goal after half-time.

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