While it's been some time since their playing days, some of the retired Hawks from the 1980s and 1990s have remained in the AFL landscape for decades later, while others have made an impact across many domains away from the football world.
Here's a look at what some of the old stars from the 80s and 90s are getting up to now.
Where are they now? Hawks 2000s stars
Robert DiPierdomenico
DiPierdomenico, affectionately known as Dipper, played 240 games for Hawthorn between 1975 and 1991.
During his time in the brown and gold, Dipper formed part of five premiership teams, won the 1986 Brownlow Medal and was inducted in the Australian Football Hall of Fame.
After his retirement, he became a popular media personality as a boundary rider with Channel 7 and 3AW.
He has also starred on several TV shows including I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! earlier this year, and currently hosts the series Dipper's Backyard BBQ Wars.
Peter Schwab
Schwab played a total of 171 games between 1980 and 1991 and was a member of half a dozen grand final teams during the course of his career, including the winning sides of 1983, 1986 and 1988.
After retiring, Schwab joined Richmond as an assistant coach in 1992, before heading back to Hawthorn as an assistant in 1996 and 1997.
He then joined the AFL umpiring department before returning to Hawthorn as head coach from 2000 to 2005.
Some of his other stints have included serving as a chairman on the AFL match review panel, becoming the CEO of AFL Victoria and taking on the role as senior director of coaching and development with Brisbane.
He currently works as a coaching coordinator at Wesley College.
Dermott Brereton
Brereton was one of the most exciting players of his era – from 1982 to 1992 – with his flamboyance endearing him to all Hawk fans and infuriating his rivals.
He was inducted into the Hawthorn Team of the Century as well as the Australian Football Hall of Fame, and returned to the club as a board member and assisted with training under Schwab.
Brereton was also appointed as a director of Hawthorn and served in the role for just over eight years until 2006.
He has also featured in a breadth of commentary and radio gigs within the media landscape and is currently a commentator on Fox Footy as well as on SEN.
Jason Dunstall
In a career spanning 14 years, Dunstall played 269 games between 1985 and 1998 and is the third highest goal kicker in VFL/AFL history with 1254 career goals.
He finished his career a four-time premiership player, three-time Coleman Medallist, four-time Peter Crimmins Medallist and 12-time leading goal-kicker for the Hawks.
After retiring, Dunstall held the position of interim CEO at Hawthorn in 2004, and remained on the Hawthorn board until the end of 2013 when his term expired.
He has also gone on to become a prominent football media personality, commentating matches for various radio stations including Triple M and appearing regularly on Fox Footy as a host of the show Bounce.
Andy Collins
Collins' time in the brown and gold spanned 212 games across 10 seasons between 1987 and 1996, where he also finished with three premierships to his name.
When he retired from league football at the end of 1996, he turned to coaching.
He has since forged a strong coaching resume having previously coached VFL sides Williamstown and Sandringham to premierships, before working at the Box Hill Hawks.
The 1990 Peter Crimmins Medallist recently made a welcome return to Waverley Park, coming on board as part of a new-look coaching panel ahead of season 2022.
Chris Langford
Langford, a former Hawthorn captain, won four premierships across his 300-game career before retiring in 1997.
A champion full-back known for his strength and consistency, Langford was an important member of Hawthorn's 1986, 1988, 1989 and 1991 premiership teams.
After his career, he moved into game administration and was appointed to the AFL Commission in 1999.
He is currently a joint managing director at Newmark Capital - an integrated property group that is actively involved in property funds management and development.
Daniel Harford
Harford played for Hawthorn between 1994 and 2003 before moving on for a short stint at Carlton the following year.
Once deciding to hang up the boots, Harford became an AFL media personality, hosting several television and radio shows including on SEN, Channel 9 and RSN.
He also joined the coaching world, and after serving as Collingwood's AFLW assistant coach during the 2018 season, he was appointed the senior coach of Carlton's AFLW team in 2018, where he currently remains.
He is also the co-founder of Recovery Lab - a rehabilitation centre - and still remains involved with Hawthorn, having most recently hosted the clubs best and fairest for 2021.
John Platten
Platten was a very determined and courageous on-baller and a major player in the success of the 1986 to 1995 era at Hawthorn.
A greatly admired teammate and much-loved by fans, Platten featured in the 1986, 1988, 1989, and 1991 Hawthorn premiership teams and also claimed the 1987 Brownlow Medal along with two club best and fairests.
He now owns his own business called The Safety Hub, which specialises in the supply of safety equipment in Melbourne and Adelaide.
Rodney Eade
Eade played 229 games for Hawthorn across the 70s and 80s and was a part of four premiership teams.
Immediately following his retirement at the end of 1990, Eade took up coaching and went on to coach at the likes of Sydney, the Western Bulldogs and Gold Coast in a career that has spanned more 20 years.
He has also been invovled in several roles in the AFL media landscape, including launching his own podcast Rocket Files sharing his perspective on the current game.
Mick Byrne
Byrne was a premiership player with Hawthorn back in the 80s, but as a coach he has built his reputation in both rugby league and rugby union.
Following his retirement, Byrne became involved in coaching rugby union with his long kicking ability proving an advantage in the game and went on to work across the world including in England, Scotland, New Zealand and Australia.
In September he was named the head coach of new Super Rugby outfit the Fijian Drua for the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season.
Chris Mew
A five-time premiership player, Mew played 230 games for Hawthorn between 1980 and 1992.
In the two decades since he last ran around for the Hawks, Mew has run a leading building company on the Mornington Peninsula.
The Hawthorn centre half-back of the century has built residences from Sorrento up to the Mt Eliza area.
Leigh Matthews
Playing 332 games from 1969 to 1985 in the brown and gold, Matthews has been judged as one of the game's greatest players.
He won eight club best and fairest awards, and was a four-time premiership player, Coleman Medalist and Hawks captain between 1981 and 1985.
Following his playing days became a four-time premiership coach, having led both Collingwood and Brisbane to the ultimate success.
He is now an AFL commentator on TV with Channel 7 and on radio with 3AW.
Gary Buckenara
Buckenara played 154 games for the Hawks during 1982 to 1990 before returning to as part of its coaching staff in 2000, followed by becoming the head of recruiting in 2004.
He played a leading role in assembling the line-up of players for the successful premierships in 2008, 2013, 2014 and 2015.
Buckenara has continued to remain involved in football over the years, including currently as an AFL writer for the Herald Sun.
Gary Ayres
Beginning his football career with Hawthorn in 1978, Ayres had an illustrious career spanning until 1993, playing 269 games and booting 70 goals.
He was part of a total of five premiership teams – 1983, 1986, 1988, 1989, and 1991 and won the Norm Smith Medal twice.
Away from his playing days, Ayres became a well-known AFL coach including for Geelong and Adelaide, and was the senior coach for the Port Melbourne in the VFL from 2008 up until this year.
He has since joined his former Hawthorn teammate and fellow ex-AFL coach Rodney Eade in the Eastern Football League ahead of season 2022.
Tony Woods
Following seasons at Fitzroy and Collingwood, Woods moved to Hawthorn in 1995 where he went on to play 142 games from 1995 to 2002.
After his retirement, Woods went on to work with the Gold Coast Suns as it prepared to enter the AFL, before being appointed the AFL's first full-time international development manager.
He has forged a successful career in the sports, advertising and media industries across marketing, sponsorship, media and commercial disciplines.
He is currently the head of commercial at Champion Data – the official data provider for the AFL.
Terry Wallace
Wallace played 174 games across eight seasons between 1978 and 1986 in the brown and gold, before moving on to play at Richmond and the Western Bulldogs.
After retiring from the game in 1991, he became an assistant coach with the Bulldogs, and later took over the head coaching role in 1996.
He then went on to coach Richmond for four years before becoming the host of radio production Sports Day where he spent six years.
He is currently a panelist on Channel 9’s Future Stars, while also working as a radio announcer, media commentator and football analyst.
Russell Greene
After he was traded to the Hawks in 1980 from St Kilda, Greene made the most of his second opportunity, playing in six consecutive grand finals for three premierships.
A very popular clubman and leader, on retirement he coached the under 19s, helping to develop future Hawks.
Greene has continued to make a very positive contribution with young people being a dedicated teacher first at Melbourne Grammar for many years and at Marnebek College.
Paul Dear
Dear notched up 123 games with the Hawks during a nine-year career spanning from 1987 to 1996.
He became a premiership player in 1991, helping Hawthorn defeat West Coast in the Grand Final with two goals to his name, which also landed him the Norm Smith Medal.
The 54-year-old has recently spoken out on his battle after being diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer, and continues to help raise awareness of the Pancare Foundation and its patient support services.
