A Hawthorn great shows all his champion qualities even in the twilight of his career

AROUND this time last year, MATTHEW LLOYD says he doubted Luke Hodge would be worthy of a 2017 contract at Hawthorn — He admits he was wrong.

Luke Hodge is known as Mr Leadership among his peers.

IT WAS around this time last year I said on Footy Classified that Hawthorn could not let Luke Hodge, Sam Mitchell, Shaun Burgoyne, Jordan Lewis and Josh Gibson all play on in 2017.

Hodge, of all of them, would be the most vulnerable not to be offered a contract to continue.

Hodge had missed a large chunk of 2016 with a broken arm and then had knee troubles. I questioned Hodge’s ability to impact games.

AFL DAILY: ROLLING COVERAGE OF ALL TODAY’S FOOTY NEWS

Luke Hodge is known as Mr Leadership among his peers.

PANIC ROOM: ABLETT GETS GREEN LIGHT FOR SUNS

PICK A WINNER: EXPERT AFL TIPS FOR ROUND 17

What would be his best position in 2017? After all, he wasn’t getting any quicker and the game wasn’t getting any slower.

Four days after my comments about Hodge, we came face-to-face in the 3AW commentary box.

Hodge had agreed to do the pre-game with us as he was out injured for the Hawks’ Friday night encounter that round.

I could tell by his initial body language towards me that he wasn’t impressed with what I had said the previous Monday.

Hodge then spoke of how versatile he had been as a player through his whole career so he couldn’t understand how I could question where he would find a role in the team for 2017.

Luke Hodge and his Hawthorn celebrate after their brilliant Round 14 win against the Crows at the Adelaide Oval. Picture: Getty Images

On the add break, Hodge took me to task on why I hadn’t said this to his face the previous week when we had been involved in a separate media interview together. My comment back to him was that there had been another game in between and my opinions and thoughts can change on a weekly basis depending on what I see about a player or team.

The reason I tell this story is that Hodge handled himself with class and integrity the whole way through a tough situation for the both of us, but he also wasn’t going to just sit back and cop what I had said about him. He vehemently disagreed with my opinion and he didn’t like it.

Hodge still had a strong belief in his ability to excel at the highest level and he took great exception to my thoughts and opinions on what he still had left to give the game. Hodge is a proud man, as competitive as you will come across, and he was still as hungry as ever to go around again in 2017.

Hodge’s form and leadership over the past month has well and truly vindicated his decision to play on and proved me wrong as he has patrolled the defensive half of the ground superbly.

Luke Hodge determined to prove Matthew Lloyd wrong after suggesting his time might be up: https://t.co/FiaGEMg6Wo pic.twitter.com/vpB0UfjyZq

— SuperFooty (AFL) (@superfooty) May 28, 2016

Hodge was a late withdrawal for the Hawks against the Gold Coast at the MCG in Round 12 and the Hawks were rudderless that day, losing by 19 points in what was one of the more lacklustre games of the season. The Hawks slumped to a 4-8 win-loss record and things looked grim.

Twelve days later, Hodge returned to face the Crows at the Adelaide Oval and along with Shaun Burgoyne and Grant Birchall, he controlled the game from the first bounce to the last in what was the upset of the season.

Hodge was mic’d up by Channel Seven for its telecast that night and I have never seen or heard such clear and concise directional talk from a player. With such a young defence around him, his ability to coach Kaiden Brand, Ryan Burton and James Sicily on the ground was phenomenal.

I had always heard about what sort of leader Hodge was, but to hear him position players at every stop in play to ensure the Hawks denied the star-studded Adelaide forwards time and space blew me away.

One of the toughest men in the game gets up close and personal with Collingwood’s Taylor Adams. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

His ability to deliver the message strongly in some instances and encourage in others made me realise that leaders like him don’t come around very often.

Hodge is a rare footballer in that he can fight and scrap for a ball as well as anyone, but he also has the class, courage and composure equal to that of any of our game’s greatest players.

That is why he was described this week by Alastair Clarkson as a once-in-a-generation player. I likened him to James Hird in that it is rare to have someone so tough and courageous yet exquisitely skilled at the same time.

You want and need those qualities in your team in the biggest game of all, the Grand Final.

That was when Hodge so often raised the stakes and became the player every supporter wished they had on their team.

Hodge will leave a legacy at Hawthorn that is profound.

As the saying goes, never write off a champion.

Luke Hodge poses with family after announcing his retirement on the eve of his 300th game. Picture: Getty Images