Toast Luke Hodge - 300 games in the Number 15. Brilliant player and a 'good bloke'.

[Verhawk]

I cant come up with the words to describe this man, really cant.
As Hawthorn supporters in my lifetime we have been kissed on the u know what more than any other side.
We have absolutely been blessed to have Luke joining all our other magnificent players, of which he can hold his own amongst.
Will be very emotional last game v the Dogs at shitihad, pity his last won't be at the MCG.
Please don't go on here as if we're a chance to make the finals its not happening peeps!
So the tigers game which is ironically who he début against will be his last game on the turf he truly made his own.

 

[Wundo]

Yep remember wanting him (Dunstall) to go around again (for selfish reasons because the slide without him was coming hard)

Will jump on the rowing machine and chuck the 2nd quarter of the 2013 GF against Sydney on when I get home for motivation. He ripped them open that quarter.

2013 GF was against Freo... 2014 ;-)

 

[TheFourPillars]

I know a lot of u have mentioned grand finals and prelim finals like 2008 and 2014 and yes 2008 prelim was a hodgey special. To quote michael voss "gladiator stuff" however for me one of his very special games and its when i knew hodgey was gonna be special was the 2007 final against Adelaide. Franklin gets the accolades for that game and rightly so but Hodgey comes back on the ground heavily bandaged having a suspect PCL. His next few minutes in the middle of the ground turn the tide.

It was the beginning of my man crush.

 

[moginie]

I know a lot of u have mentioned grand finals and prelim finals like 2008 and 2014 and yes 2008 prelim was a hodgey special. To quote michael voss "gladiator stuff" however for me one of his very special games and its when i knew hodgey was gonna be special was the 2007 final against Adelaide. Franklin gets the accolades for that game and rightly so but Hodgey comes back on the ground heavily bandaged having a suspect PCL. His next few minutes in the middle of the ground turn the tide.

It was the beginning of my man crush.

Jeez mate, you've just beaten me to it!

It was the feeling, seeing him back out on the ground, of "we're ok now. Hodgey will get us going."

He was massive that day.

EDIT: That handball over his head for Young to get the goal in the last quarter is just such a special moment of that game. Outrageous in its brilliance.

 

[JoeHawk]

'Mr. September'

How about 'Mr Football II'

 

[cryptor]

Going to really miss him when he's done. Saviour the remaining games people. Turn up to every single one that you can. We'll be seeing the final games of a future AFL Legend.

 

[grumbleguts]

Interestingly Mitchell debuted in the same game as Hodge - round 5 2002. It's feasible they'll end up finishing in the same round too.

You really think west coast will play in the grand final?

 

[Off The Couch]

Just read a post in the hodge thread from an eagles poster. Seems quite bizzare that a player like Priddis can win a Brownlow and yet our man leaves the game without one. Suppose it just reinforces the value that the Brownlow holds these days

 

[Agent Smith]

Just read a post in the hodge thread from an eagles poster. Seems quite bizzare that a player like Priddis can win a Brownlow and yet our man leaves the game without one. Suppose it just reinforces the value that the Brownlow holds these days

These days? Tony Liberatore won one but not Leigh Matthews. Lots and lots of similar examples can be thrown up throughout the Brownlow's history.

 

[HODGEYROAD]

Loved the footage with his post game interview after his debut as a 17 year old vs Richmond, shows him showing no fear wrestling Brad Ottens.... What a man he is.

 

[shoddy]

Loved the footage with his post game interview after his debut as a 17 year old vs Richmond, shows him showing no fear wrestling Brad Ottens.... What a man he is.

That's a memory of Hodgie that has stuck with me for 15 years and will continue to do so!

 

[Great 2008]

2013 GF was against Freo... 2014 ;-)

Mate you will have to excuse that error. The first one I watched was '76. Bound to get one or two of them confused.

#hawthornproblems

 

[Bumpswithagrin]

Loved the footage with his post game interview after his debut as a 17 year old vs Richmond, shows him showing no fear wrestling Brad Ottens.... What a man he is.

Where is this footage? Has a link been posted here? (Been to busy to watch everything that has been put up).

 

[Off The Couch]

That smother in the 2014 prelim final

That smother against the dogs down at tassie where he then kicked a goal from 60 out

So so many moments

 

[HODGEYROAD]

Where is this footage? Has a link been posted here? (Been to busy to watch everything that has been put up).

Hawthorn football club posted it on the facebook page.

 

[vanders]

Nice work from Pat Cash

 

[Manila_Hawk]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Legendary hehehe

 

[cantos_tevez]

Despite spending around and hour a day reading BigFooty and throwing in the odd like here and there - I'm not one to post much. Nevertheless, I feel obligated to contribute on this occasion.

After hearing that Luke Hodge was calling it a day on his career I had mixed emotions: sad that someone I had grown up watching and worshipping was retiring, but also this massive sense of satisfaction of what he has achieved for us.

I grew up when Hawthorn were no good (I'm 28), almost merging, always accepting mediocrity, often a bit of a joke, and forever "a good young team on the rise". Others in their 20's / early 30's can probably relate.

When we drafted him at No. 1, Hodge had a world of expectation on him due to what we had given up for him - in hindsight it was so little. He was young, tough, skilled, and expected to be our next captain and lead us to glory.

Then came all the crap from everyone about how we should've taken Judd, which it's fair to say us Hawks took offence to, and greater expectation on Hodgey. I know I personally wasted a lot of time trying to justify that I was happy that we had picked Hodge. It's funny how over the past 10 years that debate has rarely been mentioned.

Besides his effort on the big stage no game really stands out to me. But when I go and watch games from the past I realise that we got so used to his monumental output that such a game from him was just expected. Rarely did he play an ordinary game. I'd froth when opposition supporters would say "Hodge always kills us" and I'd calmly respond "oh him? *flicks hair* Yeh he's okay".

Anyway - congratulations, Hodgey. Throughout your career there were times when that trademark limp of yours from putting your body on the line year after year, week after week and contest after contest made most of us feel that you probably couldn't make 300 games - but you did.

The amount of joy you gave me during your time at the hawthorn football club cannot be measured - hopefully there are 7 (or more!) weeks of this left.