Going retro: Hawthorn stars honour club legends in retro photoshoot
Hawthorn fans revere the likes of legends Dermott Brereton, Michael Tuck, Peter Knights and Robert DiPierdomenico. But, for one day only, they were back at Waverley Park, in the form of the Hawks’ current stars. PIC SPECIAL
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Isaac Smith has played his fair share of roles at Hawthorn.
Wingman, forward and premiership star.
But until last month, he never thought he’d be asked to play Hawthorn legend Michael Tuck.
He wasn’t the only one asked to go retro as the club honoured a number of key figures from the past as part of Hawthorn’s “Always” brand campaign. The greats were invited back to tell what the club means to them.
Harry Morrison looked the part with a Peter Knights moustache, James Sicily recreated the Dermott Brereton swagger, and blond mullet, while Paul Puopolo appeared as a smaller version of Robert DiPierdomenico.
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The laughs that ensued weren’t lost on Smith, as the club tried to match current players who had a resemblance to champions of years gone by.
“Obviously with Michael Tuck being such a tough, muscly type of guy, they thought he and I resembled each other,” Smith joked.
“Good looks, big muscles.”
The 29-year-old — who grew up in Cootamundra, in the Riverina district of New South Wales — followed Carlton as a kid, but recalled seeing flashes of the games record holder Tuck in action.
“I saw a few highlights growing up of Michael going around. Hawthorn doesn’t have long-sleeved jumpers, so I couldn’t resemble it to the absolute nth degree,” he said.
“I know he won seven premierships at Hawthorn and obviously played a fair few games at well.
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“He’s a very dry guy, great sense of humour, as well. And he loves a beer, so the resemblance goes further than the football field.”
Tuck said he had enjoyed the retro emulation, which is part of the club’s “Always Hawthorn” campaign, and reckons Smith goes “very well” as a player.
“He’s got my build to a certain degree, and basically he’s a good match except he’s a left-footer and I’m a right-footer.
“It’s not as if he’s a dud who’s trying to do what I could do. It’s a bit of fun, and it’s good, really.
“You’ve got to look forward, but you’ve also got to look at your history.”
Smith said he felt like he played very similar to Tuck, but said there were other Hawks who had the imitations down pat as the likes of premiership Dermott Brereton and Robert DiPierdomenico “returned” to Waverley.
“It was good fun. Sic (James Sicily) dressed up (as Dermott Brereton) and was strutting around, so he didn’t have to do anything different,” Smith laughed.
“Stratto (Ben Stratton) had the mullet, looking like Gary Ayres. And Tommy (Mitchell) was a little chunky Leigh Matthews. But probably my favourite was Poppy dressing up as Dipper.”
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