Luke Hodge

After showing prodigious talent in his youth, Luke Hodge earned All-Australian selection at U15 and U16 national championships, later receiving an AFL/AIS Academy scholarship. He was taken as the top pick in the 2001 AFL draft and made his season debut playing for the Hawthorn Football Club against Richmond in April 2002, winning the club’s Best First Year Player Award and an AFL Rising Star nomination in that year. In 2011 he was made captain of Hawthorn, a position he held until 2016, after winning three ‘back-to-back-to-back’ Grand Finals in 2013, 2014 and 2015. He is a four-time premiership player, two-time Peter Crimmins Medallist, two-time Norm Smith Medallist and three-time All-Australian, who has also played in International Rules teams for Australia. An uncompromising leader on and off the field, Luke Hodge is regarded as one of the AFL’s toughest players and a seasoned finals specialist. He is married to wife Lauren and has three sons, Cooper, Chase and Leo.