Mega Thread The Father-Son Mega thread - 2026 update

[Yardie]

This is wrong, Hodge retired because he felt that he personally was going to get in the way of the young players developing.

After retiring Fagan contacted Hodge to ask if he wanted to play on, when he decided he was interested and told Clarkson Clarko offered him a spot on the list for the next year if he wanted it.

Clarkson did not force him out and if Hodge wanted to play on at Hawthorn that year then he had the option to. Leaving was purely his decision.

I would reckon that was the narrative that Clarkson was driving at the time and Hodge being for the team decided it was in the best interest of the club. I think he also saw a bit of the writing on the wall with how Sam and Jordan were handled.

Fagan pounced and he got the benefit we could have had.

 

[Ned Ryerson]

My real beef is with Alan Joyce pushing out Dean Anderson before he qualified for F/S.

If you want to get really weird about it - had Anderson stayed on then Noah likely wouldn't exist given the entire course of Dean's life events would have altered.

 

[StackedHunch]

If you want to get really weird about it - had Anderson stayed on then Noah likely wouldn't exist given the entire course of Dean's life events would have altered.

Strong username to content ratio.

 

[Simon Crawshay]

I always felt it was a little unusual that the Club (Clarkson) was so unbothered about letting club champs like Mitch, Hodge and Lewis go for peanuts whilst they were still playing decent(ish) footy yet he kept secondary players like Shiels and Stratton on for a couple.of years too long (in my opinion).

Old news now of course but I reckon you would rather hang onto your deadset champion players as long as you can like Collingwood and Geelong have done so well.

 

[The Golden Glenferrie]

I always felt it was a little unusual that the Club (Clarkson) was so unbothered about letting club champs like Mitch, Hodge and Lewis go for peanuts whilst they were still playing decent(ish) footy yet he kept secondary players like Shiels and Stratton on for a couple.of years too long (in my opinion).

Old news now of course but I reckon you would rather hang onto your deadset champion players as long as you can like Collingwood and Geelong have done so well.

They should have retired as Hawthorn greats

 

[Nugett]

If you want to get really weird about it - had Anderson stayed on then Noah likely wouldn't exist given the entire course of Dean's life events would have altered.

Has this got something to do with the Space Time Continuum? Doc

 

[Flamin Joe]

Has this got something to do with the Space Time Continuum? Doc

He can't tell you as doing so would be a violation of the Temporal Prime Directive.

 

[Yardie]

I always felt it was a little unusual that the Club (Clarkson) was so unbothered about letting club champs like Mitch, Hodge and Lewis go for peanuts whilst they were still playing decent(ish) footy yet he kept secondary players like Shiels and Stratton on for a couple.of years too long (in my opinion).

Old news now of course but I reckon you would rather hang onto your deadset champion players as long as you can like Collingwood and Geelong have done so well.

I think it was timing more than anything. We realised, in hindsight, we had made a mistake and then kept the players that were aging, albeit not the A graders. Think other teams looked at how we handled it and learnt from our mistake.

But want to be clear, at the time I was all for the strategy, but looking back we screwed up.

 

[Simon Crawshay]

I think it was timing more than anything. We realised, in hindsight, we had made a mistake and then kept the players that were aging, albeit not the A graders. Think other teams looked at how we handled it and learnt from our mistake.

But want to be clear, at the time I was all for the strategy, but looking back we screwed up.

Probably ended up worse than expected as quite a few of the secondary players we kept really declined very quickly in their last few years.

Yes there has been a real emphasis on retaining the champion players at a club for as long as you can.

 

[Yardie]

Probably ended up worse than expected as quite a few of the secondary players we kept really declined very quickly in their last few years.

Yes there has been a real emphasis on retaining the champion players at a club for as long as you can.

We gave away so much intel on how to win premierships. All three teams (West Coast, Melbourne & Brisbane) won premierships after Sam, Jordan and Luke went to their clubs.

 

[Simon Crawshay]

We gave away so much intel on how to win premierships. All three teams (West Coast, Melbourne & Brisbane) won premierships after Sam, Jordan and Luke went to their clubs.

Clarko is such an odd operator in a lot of ways.

A ruthless, controlling bastard at times no doubt but also surprisingly soft when it came to doing trades with other clubs / facilitating trades for players.

Name me another coach that would let three club champs go to their bitter rivals for essentially a packet of chips?

 

[StackedHunch]

Clarko is such an odd operator in a lot of ways.

A ruthless, controlling bastard at times no doubt but also surprisingly soft when it came to doing trades with other clubs / facilitating trades for players.

Name me another coach that would let three club champs go to their bitter rivals for essentially a packet of chips?

Let's not forget about Josh Kennedy being told the lowball offer from Sydney was a good idea.

 

[libbylou]

Yardie you could add Isaac Smith

7

Isaac Smith

Age

37

Ht

188cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

21.3

5star

K

13.0

5star

HB

8.4

5star

M

5.5

5star

T

2.9

4star

CL

1.7

4star

D

19.4

4star

K

11.1

4star

HB

8.3

4star

M

3.8

4star

T

2.5

3star

CL

1.3

4star

D

19.2

5star

K

10.6

4star

HB

8.6

5star

M

7.6

5star

T

2.0

4star

CL

0.6

3star

to that group as well.

 

[Stranglers]

Strong username to content ratio.

Bing!

 

[Brant]

Yardie you could add Isaac Smith to that group as well.

Brad Hill was almost worst of the lot. We couldn't have done more to lose him if we'd driven him to the airport ourselves...

 

[Rushed_Behind]

I’d rather the club be ruthless and not get it completely right than be sentimental and not get it right. Nothing is ever going to be perfect but after not having access to top end talent for so long we needed to be a little aggressive. We May have pulled the wrong rein but I can live with that as opposed to losing a really talented kid because hodge Lewis Mitchell hung around a year or 2 too long.

 

[Nugett]

I think it was timing more than anything. We realised, in hindsight, we had made a mistake and then kept the players that were aging, albeit not the A graders. Think other teams looked at how we handled it and learnt from our mistake.

But want to be clear, at the time I was all for the strategy, but looking back we screwed up.

Thats why I’m happy to trade our picks currently, but would like us to go back to the draft in 2-3 years time to start building up the next generation, rather than constantly trading out 1st/2nd’s like we did.

 

[Hawkas1988]

What always annoyed me was in the same trade period.

Deledio went to GWS for a 1st rounder and a 3rd rounder.

Lewis who was from the same draft/age and only a slightly lesser player than Deledio, we got stuff all. Upgraded a pick in the 50s to one in the 40s basically.

Richmond made sure they got something.

We just gave away Lewis (and Mitchell) for peanuts.

What's even worse is they came 1st and 2nd in our BnF that year too.

Just ridiculous.

 

[Jane Doe]

What always annoyed me was in the same trade period.

Deledio went to GWS for a 1st rounder and a 3rd rounder.

Lewis who was from the same draft/age and only a slightly lesser player than Deledio, we got stuff all. Upgraded a pick in the 50s to one in the 40s basically.

Richmond made sure they got something.

We just gave away Lewis (and Mitchell) for peanuts.

What's even worse is they came 1st and 2nd in our BnF that year too.

Just ridiculous.

Clarkson had far too much power by the end of his reign

 

[Nugett]

Is Kobe Williams likely to be nominated for a F/S this year?

 

[Dewnior]

I’d rather the club be ruthless and not get it completely right than be sentimental and not get it right.

 

[brad sue well]

They should have retired as Hawthorn greats

Goes against the grain in so many ways and as much I am not a fan of Clarkson, this was an attempt at innovation and a plan. I admire that, despite it not coming off.

 

[DearJai]

Is Kobe Williams likely to be nominated for a F/S this year?

His dad would be a modern midfield superstar with that explosive pace, crazy bodyweight to power ratio, and smooth moving gait.

Had smarts to burn, and played like a lion mid and forward in the 2008 GF.

So excited about Kobe, if he’s even a chance to make it get him in imo.

That athletic profile his old man had was something else.

 

[lyger]

His dad would be a modern midfield superstar with that explosive pace, crazy bodyweight to power ratio, and smooth moving gait.

Had smarts to burn, and played like a Lion mid and forward in the 2008 GF.

So excited about Kobe, if he’s even a chance to make it get him in imo.

That athletic profile hos old man had was something else.

If Kobe shares his dad’s athletic profile and has the game and tank to play in the middle, would be an exciting prospect.

 

[killerspud]

I really want Kobe Williams