HAWTHORN superstar Lance Franklin sells more than double the merchandise of any other AFL player via online shopping, cementing his position as the biggest name in the game.

IMG Sports Technology, which runs the online stores for 17 of the 18 AFL clubs has compiled data from the 2012 season, and concluded Franklin branded jumpers, badges, t-shirts and caps are by far the most popular.

"It's not surprising that he was number one, but the sheer volume ... the gap between himself and the guys in the rest of the list was amazing to us," IMG STG creative director Danny Bishop told AFL.com.au. 
 
The gap between Buddy and the rest is enormous.

"It's almost 100 percent on what the next guy on the list is."

The 'next guy' just happens to be Franklin's teammate Cyril Rioli. Fellow Hawk Luke Hodge comes in at number five.

Carlton skipper Chris Judd is third on the list, while Brownlow medallist Jobe Watson comes in at number four.

Collingwood took back control of its own e-commerce at the start of the year.

Dane Swan, who won the Brownlow in 2011, is understood to be their top ranked seller, with Alan Didak the second best Magpie.

It is estimated Swan ranks about 16th on the list across the competition.

While major retailers have expressed concern about the damage online shopping is doing to the traditional stores, it's a different story in club land.

"If the clubs themselves sell it, they get 100 percent of the profits, and allows them much more room to fund everything they do as a club," Bishop said. 

"The end result of someone spending money online with their club, is their club is more likely to succeed."

Meanwhile, it has been reported a number of AFL premiership stars cut memorabilia deals with unlicensed agents.

Melbourne's two major newspapers reported players from Collingwood and Geelong signed unauthorised memorabilia after their respective premiership wins in 2010 and 2011.

More than 150 signed memorabilia items were seized during a raid on two properties connected to Melbourne company Hard On Sport in September, The Age reported.

ESP Merchandise is the AFL's official memorabilia agent.

An injunction preventing Hard On Sport from selling unlicensed AFL merchandise has been granted until a trial begins in December.

The top 10:

1. Lance Franklin - Hawthorn
2. Cyril Rioli - Hawthorn
3. Chris Judd - Carlton
4. Jobe Watson - Essendon
5. Luke Hodge - Hawthorn
6. Joel Selwood - Geelong
7. Marc Murphy - Carlton
8. Adam Goodes - Sydney Swans
9. Jimmy Bartel - Geelong
10. Lenny Hayes - St Kilda

Matt Thompson is a reporter for AFL Media. Follow him on Twitter @MattThompsonAFL