This week, we’re celebrating all things ’78, ’88 and ’08 in the lead up to our Mighty Fighting Hawks Premiership Reunion. If you are yet to purchase your ticket to the Round 13 event, click here.

It’s hard to believe it’s nearly been 10 years since that 2008 September afternoon. The day that saw Stuart Dew become a Hawthorn cult hero. The day that saw the rise of a superstar in Cyril Rioli. The day that saw Shane Crawford finally taste premiership success. 

Yes, a decade has passed, and many things have changed. Only three of those 22 players remain on Hawthorn’s list today, three are playing for rival clubs, and 16 have hung up the boots.

So, where are the premiership heroes of 2008 now? Let’s take a look.

2 Jarryd Roughead

Eight seasons after his first taste of premiership success, Roughead was named skipper of the club he helped to victory with two goals in the ’08 grand final. He is midway through his second season as captain, and is one of just three 2008 premiership players remaining on Hawthorn’s list.

Read: Roughy tons up in Tassie 

3 Jordan Lewis

After winning a further three premierships with the Hawks between 2013-2015, Lewis shifted to the Demons in a shock trade at the end of the 2016 season. While his first year at the club saw the Dees narrowly miss the finals, 2018 is looking good for the former Hawks VC, with his side sitting pretty in third position on the ladder.

4 Rick Ladson

Injury hampered the end of premiership star Rick Ladson’s career, after surgery on both knees in 2011 saw him delisted and heading into an early retirement. Ladson spent time as a development coach of Essendon after hanging up the boots, and has since shifted to cricket, coaching the Sedgwick Cricket Club since 2014.

5 Sam Mitchell

Another household name who experienced the joy of Hawthorn’s three-peat. Like Lewis, Mitchell was traded at the end of the 2016 season and headed west to join the Eagles. After a season at the nest, Mitchell announced his retirement after a decorated career that spanned over 300 games and included four premierships and the 2012 Brownlow Medal. He is currently an assistant coach at the Eagles.

6 Mark Williams

Well known for his stunning third quarter effort alongside Stuart Dew, Mark Williams spent one final year at the Hawks before heading to Essendon in a complex four-club trade that also saw Shaun Burgoyne arrive at Waverley. He played a further two seasons at Windy Hill, before calling time on his career at the end of 2011. He became the inaugural coach of Western Region Football League’s Newport Power at the end of 2015, and steered the club to premiership success in its first season.

7 Michael Osborne

After 168 games with the Hawks over 12 seasons, Michael Osborne announced his retirement at the end of 2013, having missed out on selection in Hawthorn’s grand final team that year (but playing an important role in Box Hill’s premiership success). Osborne worked at Carlton as a development coach following his retirement, and has played for Balwyn in the Eastern Football League.

8 Xavier Ellis

Injury restricted Ellis to just a handful of games at Hawthorn after the 2008 grand final and, at the end of 2013, he joined West Coast as an unrestricted free agent. Ellis would meet his former teammates in the 2015 grand final, and eventually retired from the game in August 2016. Ellis currently hosts a weekend breakfast radio show in Perth.

9 Shane Crawford

One of the most well-known and much-loved faces of the 2008 premiership, that September game proved to be the final hit out of Crawford’s decorated career as he announced his retirement a few weeks later. He is now a successful television personality, best known for his presenting role on The Footy Show.

10 Chance Bateman

Chance Bateman achieved many feats at the Hawks; he was the club’s first Indigenous player to play 100 games, Hawthorn’s first Aboriginal life member and, of course, a 2008 premiership player. After retiring at the end of 2012, Bateman played with the Perth Football Club. He is now an employment mentor at the Wirrpanda Foundation.

11 Clinton Young

After tasting premiership success in 2008, Young played his last game for the Hawks in the losing 2012 grand final. He moved to Collingwood as an unrestricted free agent, where he played 21 games across three years before ending his AFL career. After playing for Gisborne in the Bendigo Football League, Young became the club’s coach at the start of 2018.

12 Brad Sewell

Sewell added a second premiership medallion to his cabinet in 2013, before an injury hampered 2014 season saw him hang up the boots. The Hawks 200-gamer is currently a commentator for Channel 7, and occasionally pulls on the Newlyn jumper in the Central Highlands League.

14 Grant Birchall

One of the three Hawks still on the current list, Grant Birchall has been a pivotal contributor in all four of the club’s recent premierships. While injury has hampered his past two seasons, Hawks fans will be looking forward to seeing the No.14 back on the park soon after the bye.

15 Luke Hodge

The 2008 Norm Smith medallist, Luke Hodge added a second Norm to his stash in 2014, along with another three premiership medals. He took on the captaincy at the start of 2011 and lead the club for the following six seasons. Hodge announced his retirement midway through 2017 after a decorated 300-game career. In a surprising twist, the former skipper opted to come out of retirement during 2017’s trade period, and flew north to continue his career with the Lions.

18 Brent Guerra

Guerra finally tasted premiership glory at his third club, after stints at Port Adelaide and St Kilda. He played in two grand final winning sides, with the 2013 flag his final AFL game. He is currently a development forwards coach at Fremantle.

23 Lance Franklin

Another huge name from the 2008 premiership team, Franklin made headlines when he decided to use his free agency and switch to the Swans at the end of 2013, following his second flag with the Hawks. He is currently five years into a nine year deal with the club and has since played in two losing grand final teams (including 2014 against the Hawks) and won two more Coleman Medals.

24 Trent Croad

After a round trip from Hawthorn to Fremantle back to Hawthorn, Croad finally won a flag in 2008. However, the game also prematurely brought the end to his career, as he left the ground with a broken foot and never played another AFL game. He now has his own landscaping business.

27 Stephen Gilham

Having helped steady the backline after Trent Croad was taken from the field, Stephen Gilham played a crucial role in helping seal 2008 premiership success. Gilham remained at the club for a further four seasons, before switching to the newly formed GWS Giants where he finished his career. Gilham now works as a Partnerships Manager with Swisse.

30 Campbell Brown

Brown played two more seasons with the club after the 2008 premiership, before becoming one of the foundation players of the Gold Coast Football Club. Here, he played three seasons before calling time on his 205-game career. He has since worked in the media as a commentator, and regularly assists and hosts Hawthorn events.

31 Stuart Dew

Alastair Clarkson’s draft project that paid off a million times over. After coming out of retirement to join the Hawks, Dew put together one of the best third quarter efforts in grand final history to help the Hawks achieve premiership glory. After an injury-riddled 2009 season, Dew retired (again), and joined the Swans as an assistant coach. In 2017, he was named senior coach of the Gold Coast Suns.

33 Cyril Rioli

Cyril Rioli’s repeat effort tackle on the wing is one of the most remembered moments form the 2008 grand final. Since that day, Rioli has built a stellar career, culminating in three more premierships and the 2015 Norm Smith Medal. Having injured his knee in Round 4 this year, Rioli is expected to return to the field after this week’s bye.

34 Brent Renouf

Renouf tasted premiership success in just his eighth game of football. He went on to play three more seasons with the Hawks, before shifting to Port Adelaide where he finished his career. Since then, he has spent time as a line coach for the NT Thunder.

39 Robert Campbell

Campbell chalked up 116 games with the Hawks between 2002 and 2009. After retiring due to a knee injury, Campbell made a brief comeback to the AFL scene after nominating for the draft and being picked up by Melbourne. He was unable to break into the senior side, and retired for good at the end of 2011.

Coach: Alastair Clarkson

10 years on and with four premierships to his name, Clarkson remains one of the most respected and successful coaches of the modern era. He is into his 14^th season at the helm, and is admired for his ability to consistently reinvent his side in order to remain competitive.