Hawthorn captain Luke Hodge says fire still burns to play beyond 14th AFL season
TWO of the most debatable questions in football are simple to answer, says Luke Hodge.
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TWO of the most debatable questions in football are simple to answer, says Luke Hodge.
1) Who is the first AFL Hall of Fame Legend between Tony Lockett and Jason Dunstall and; 2) Who is better, Chris Judd or Luke Hodge, the champs of the 2001 draft?
“I might be biased but I have my opinions,” Hodge said.
“I know what Dunstall has done and what he has done for the players in recent years.
“And the other question, and depending what you rate it down to, but if it’s who is the better player, then Chris Judd by far.
“I’m still happy about how my career as finished up at this stage, and hopefully it’s not finished yet, but before he had his injuries he was an absolute freak and everyone loved watching him play, I loved watching him play.
“But I’m not complaining, considering if I finish a three-time premiership player.”
Hodge or Judd? It’s a question which doesn’t have an immediate answer. Nor, according to Hodge, has it been asked for awhile.
“I think the comparison has dwindled away, seeing as it was 14 years ago,” he said.
“Why don’t you do a better comparison, who is better Judd or Ablett?”
He might be right, but Hodge has always played down everything individual.
Certainly, for a three-time premiership player, two-time premiership captain, two-time Norm Smith Medallist and two-time best and fairest winner, Hodge is the humble champ.
He has achieved greatness while remaining a great people’s person.
Leigh Matthews once said of Hodge: “When the Hawks devoted the first choice in the 2001 national draft to Luke Hodge they got not just a great player but a great leader, too.”
Judd might be the better footballer, but there’s no argument who is the better leader.
You get the feeling the greatness tag, which reached its zenith after winning his second Norm Smith last year, tends to embarrass Hodge.
“Clarko is a big one for letting you know not to believe what you read,” he said.
“But in saying that, I understand the fact I've won two Norm Smiths, but who's to say that one person votes another way and Lewis or Mitchell gets it. Or back in 2008, Clinton Young, Sewell or Gary Ablett because of one vote going one way or the other.
“When I finish I will look back and think, ‘Yeah, in big games I was able to help the team win’, but seriously, I was more proud last year of how the blokes responded after a poor preliminary final.
“I know we didn’t have a party because I won the Norm Smith, we had a party because we won the Grand Final. We celebrated together because of what we went through throughout the year and what went through in the final series.
“That's why you play football, and why you love football.
“I think Juddy won it in a losing a Grand Final and if you asked him what was more enjoyable, that Grand Final or the one the year after. I'm tipping which one.”
This is Hodge's 14th season and at 30, he says the fire within is as fierce as any time of his career.
“I'm the same as any other person who loves football, I want to do it for as long as I can,'' he said.
“As far as passion goes, it's still the same as it always was.
“Put it this way, we're playing games in 20 days, how do you think my motivation is?''
Footy is about living and learning and Hodge and his teammates have lived and learned from their first success in 2008, through 2013 and again last year.
He says age educates and inspires.
“The older you get you realise there's not long left,'' he said.
“In 2008 we made a lot mistakes because were we young guys and we thought it was just going to happen every year.
“Professionalism these days allows you to have a couple of weeks celebrating and then it comes to a certain date, which all the boys and coach agree on, where you switch into gear and focus on the next year.”
Every club endeavours to improve from the season before and as the Hawks embark on the magical three-peat, Hodge yesterday wasn't about to give up tactical secrets.
Collectively, he said the group was hungry and that individuals were wanting to expand their leadership qualities.
Not for the first time in his career, he compared his Hawks to Geelong. The Cats, at their best, had 12-15 leaders.
The Hawks have Hodge, Mitchell, Lewis, Roughead and Burgoyne, and an eager group pushing through.
“A lot of times now, I sit back and I don't have to say a thing,'' Hodge said.
“It's been like that for a while now. We're trying to get the next group talking.
“Like induction day, I've done it every year and this year it was Ben McEvoy, Lewy (Jordan Lewis) and Brendan Whitecross. The next tier of blokes are starting to push what we believe in, our behaviours, and we're at the stage where I have to say less.
“What we recognised off Geelong, you can spread your leadership group from five blokes to 15.
“We had match play the other day and rather than me talk about our style, Isaac Smith took the group and said, this is what we're focusing on today.
“McEvoy came in to the leadership group and brought up issues around the club he thought we needed to improve on. Whitecross does it. Stratton does it. Liam Shiels does it.
“It's about more guys having input so we can get better.''
Perish the though, the Hawks will be even better.
Originally published as Hawthorn captain Luke Hodge says fire still burns to play beyond 14th AFL season
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