Former Hawthorn players Grant Birchall, Stuart Dew and Josh Kennedy have been awarded Life Membership of the AFL.
The AFL announced on Thursday that the trio will be inducted at the 2022 Annual General Meeting in March for their services to football.
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A four-time premiership star with the Hawks, Birchall played a total of 287 games, which included 248 games with Hawthorn between 2006 and 2019 before finishing his career at Brisbane.
Birchall came to the Hawks via Pick 14 in the 2005 national draft and made his debut the following year.
The 34-year-old went on to play 14 seasons in the brown and gold and proved a vital cog in one of the club's most successful eras.
Following a two-year stint with Brisbane, Birchall announced his retirement from the game at the end of 2021.
He finished his career with a list of achievements rarely matched by others that have gone before him, with four premierships, an All Australian honour and a place in the Tasmanian Football Hall of Fame.
Following a 180-game career with Port Adelaide, Dew announced his retirement at the end of the 2006 season.
But in a shock move, Dew came out of retirement to join the Hawks in 2008, and went on to play 26 games with Hawthorn across two seasons, kicking 20 goals.
Most notably, Dew was a key contributor in the Hawks 2008 premiership win, putting together one of the best third quarter efforts in grand final history.
After an injury-riddled 2009 season, Dew retired again, and joined Sydney as an assistant coach before being named the senior coach of the Gold Coast Suns, a role he has been in since 2018.
Kennedy landed at the Hawks during the 2006 national draft under the father-son rule.
He went on to make his debut for the club in Round 9 of the 2008 season.
But after just 13 games across two seasons and more opportunity on the table with Sydney, the Hawks and the youngest of the Kennedy clan parted ways.
During his 266-game career at the Swans, Kennedy has won three club best and fairests, become a premiership player in 2012, been named an All Australian on three occasions and has captained the club since 2017.
Hawthorn Football Club wishes to congratulate Birchall, Dew and Kennedy for receiving AFL Life Membership, and thanks them for their significant contributions to the club.
