Brereton said the rise of Jack Gunston and career-best form of Jarryd Roughead has seen Hawthorn become less reliant on the dual Coleman medallist.
Demetriou likes Buddy in brown and gold
"If you had have asked me [in] round 15 last year, 'Can Hawthorn win a premiership without Lance Franklin?' I'd have said, 'No way on earth'," Brereton said.
"You ask me [in] round 15, 2013, 'Can Hawthorn win a premiership without Lance Franklin?' I'd say, 'Most definitely they can'."
Franklin, a free agent this season, has been in the spotlight again in recent days after Hawthorn president Andrew Newbold confirmed the club had tabled a five-year deal to the 26-year-old spearhead.
The football world is now waiting on his decision and also on offers from rival clubs, particularly expansion club Greater Western Sydney.
As Franklin missed Hawthorn's win over Port Adelaide with a knee complaint, Roughead and Gunston combined for 10 goals.
Since 2008, Hawthorn has averaged 16 more points per match without Franklin with and an 11 per cent higher win rate. Roughead's goal average has increased from 2.3 to 2.8 without Franklin and Gunston's 1.9 to 3.4.
"The landscape has changed the way they (Hawthorn) play," Brereton said.
"I think Lance is a lot more of a role-player now with Hawthorn who is an enormous weapon at their disposal when they want to employ him in certain ways."
Brereton believes Franklin will depart Waverley Park.
"I get the feeling he'll go," he said.
"I think Hawthorn can win the premiership without Lance, maybe he might even feel that also. (He might) think, you know I've played in a premiership here and I'll go and I'm the highest paid player the AFL's ever had."
