Consider for a moment you are Geelong. You have Tom Hawkins out of contract at the end of next year. He is a free agent when his contract expires and you want to avoid all that messiness and get things going on a new deal now.

Where do you start? A week ago, you might have known where to start. A week ago, Hawkins and his manager might have known where to start. Not now. Not since the Western Bulldogs committed to paying Tom Boyd millions for what they hope he will do and not for what he has done.

Proven quantity: Tom Hawkins has the goals on the board. Credit:Getty Images

If Boyd after nine games and eight goals can be paid between $6 million and $7 million, then what is Hawkins worth? What is the right price to pay for a player who has won two premierships, been All-Australian, won the club's best and fairest and has three times been its leading goalkicker? What do you pay the player who led the competition for contested marks last season? How much for the man who, at 26, is in his prime after 147 games and 286 goals?

Is it three times Boyd's contract? Four times? Half? Nothing seems quite fair or appropriate any more, not when set against Boyd's contract.