Mark Robinson: Luke Hodge a man amongst men
LOST somewhat in Buddymania is that Luke Hodge could elevate from a Hawthorn great to a Hawthorn legend by the end of today.
Mark Robinson
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LOST somewhat in Buddymania is that Luke Hodge could elevate from a Hawthorn great to a Hawthorn legend by the end of today.
How fitting is it he plays his 250th game on Grand Final day? The biggest day of the season comes for a player big on everything.
Hodge is big on soul, big on heart and big on actions.
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Of course, the milestone will be the furthest thing on his mind as he leads his players up the race from the bowels of the MCG, from when they take their first tantalising steps on to the MCG, from when the roar of the crowd is so profound, so out-of-this-world, that the mind thinks the body is shuffling on a magic carpet.
Amid the euphoria of the moment, Hodge will be calm.
He’s an old man at this caper. He knows emotions are at fever pitch but must be controlled. The game could be won and lost in the first 10 minutes and as much as he can’t get into the heads of every teammate lost in their own “this-is-what-life-is-all-about’’ moment, he must try.
He won’t snap them out of it, but he won’t allow them to lose themselves in it, either.
When he stands shoulder to shoulder with his teammates as the national anthem sweeps through the MCG grandstands, Hodge’s focus will be on the team and the team alone.
His final captain’s address will reinforce the fundamentals. Head over the ball. Be in first. Pay the price. Support. Run. Tackle. Pressure.
His teammates will listen and not listen, for their heads will be scrambled. Anyway, they’ve heard it before. From Round 1 against Brisbane at Launceston to last week’s preliminary final against Port Adelaide at the MCG, the message is always the same at Hawthorn.
Hodge is a talker, but he’s mainly a doer.
He’ll need not tell himself what is required, for he already knows what he’ll do.
There’s a famous story told by former North Melbourne coach Denis Pagan when asked about his legendary half-back, Glenn Archer, a player much admired in the same vein as Hodge.
It’s about what to do when presented with a situation on the field when absolute courage was required.
Pagan said he never had to ask Archer how Archer would react because he knew Archer had already decided before running on to the ground.
It’s the same with Hodge.
Whatever the situation, be it running with the flight of the ball or diving head-first at it, Hodge and Archer would act first and think later.
It’s called courageous instinct. All the greats have it. Hodge. Archer. Voss. Riccuito. Hird. Paul Kelly. Joel Selwood.
It’s why they were all captains of their football clubs and why Archer was the Shinboner of the Century.
If the Hawks win today, Hodge becomes a dual premiership captain and a three-time premiership player.
Only two Hawthorn captains have won two or more premierships.
One was the 1970s hipster maniac named Don Scott (1976 and 1978) and the other was the legendary Michael Tuck (1986, 1988-89 and 1991).
Hawthorn’s history boasts a catalogue of leaders, including John Kennedy Sr, Graham Arthur, David Parkin, Don Scott, Leigh Matthews, Michael Tuck, Jason Dunstall, Shane Crawford and, of course, Sam Mitchell, the premiership skipper of 2008.
In Hodge, the Hawks have a revered figure.
After last year’s Grand Final win over Fremantle, the Hawks lauded their skipper.
President Andrew Newbold: “Clarko deserves to be a two-time premiership coach and I really think Hodgey deserves to be a premiership captain.
“Wouldn’t you love to be Hodgey’s mum or parents, the way he goes about it ... I would. He’s just an outstanding individual.’’
Teammate Brad Sewell: “It’s a cliche, but he’s a man among men. You know he’s so loyal and you know he’s doing everything he can possibly do for the team, so he can ask of you whatever he wants because regardless of what it is, you know there’s a motive for it and you know his intentions are of the utmost.”
Assistant coach Brett Ratten: “He’s a great leader of men, he stamps himself on games with his physicality and his direction. A lot of clubs admire what he does ... he’s got presence and most leaders do.”
Former teammate Shane Crawford: “Hodgey is a wonderful, tough leader who’d do anything for the team. Everyone loves Hodgey, whether it be teammates, supporters, everyone loves Hodgey.”
Indeed, everyone loves Hodgey.
The one-time tubby boy from Colac who went No. 1 in his draft is today, 12 years later, on the altar of legend.
No one, other than the Sydney-flavoured, would deny him a place well deserved.
Originally published as Mark Robinson: Luke Hodge a man amongst men
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