Hawthorn AFL star Lance Franklin says he was verbally attacked by the woman who accused him of rude, intimidating behaviour in a Melbourne bar.

Former fashion designer Nicky Rowsell called Franklin an “absolute disgrace of a human being” after a confrontation on Saturday night.

She said that Franklin had stood over her and yelled in her face.

After she contacted the Hawthorn AFL club, Franklin reportedly phoned Rowsell to apologise.

He used Twitter to defend himself and said there were two sides to the story.

“Maybe the @Heraldsun should ask Nicky and publish why she approached me and what she said,” he wrote.

“I am not for one minute saying how I reacted was right but when someone comes up and verbally attacks me and the people I care about for no apparent reason I think its only natural to defend yourself.

“But I guess that’s not an appealing story is it.”