They are the fathers of the threepeat era.
Jarryd Roughead, Shaun Burgoyne, Sam Mitchell, Paul Puopolo, Luke Hodge, Jordan Lewis, Brian Lake and David Hale.
A unique group of Hawks who played in the 2013, 2014, 2015 premierships and now have children of their own.
Following the launch of the latest Always iteration on Thursday, we’ve taken a look back at those three golden days and how each featured player fared across the three games.
Read: Why we are always Hawthorn
Jarryd Roughead
Average disposals across the three GFs: 19.7
Total goals: 8
Best performance: 2015 – 26 disposals, nine marks and a goal
It’s a difficult task to pick his best performance of the three when the other two were 20 disposals and two goals in 2013 and a five-goal outing in 2014. Roughead arguably didn’t receive enough credit for his ability to perform on the big stage – most likely because of the long list of fellow superstar teammates.
Shaun Burgoyne
Average disposals across the three GFs: 21.3
Total goals: 2
Best performance: 2015 – 26 disposals, eight marks and three tackles
Burgoyne received one Norm Smith Medal vote for his effort in 2015. His game against Sydney the previous year which saw him collect 24 disposals and two goals was also outstanding. A proven big moments player, Burgoyne, who has played more finals in the game’s history than any other player barring Michael Tuck, has a finals record that speaks for itself.
Sam Mitchell
Average disposals across the three GFs: 26.3
Total goals: -
Best performance: 2014 – 33 disposals, nine marks, nine tackles and seven clearances
A split decision between Mitchell’s 2014 and 2015 games where he earned nine Norm Smith Medal votes in each. Fremantle tagger Ryan Crowley kept Mitchell uncharacteristically quiet in 2013, gathering just 13 possessions.
Paul Puopolo
Average disposals across the three GFs: 11.7
Total goals: 1
Best performance: 2015 – 15 disposals, five marks, five tackles and four inside 50s
True to his reputation, Puopolo averaged five tackles across his three grand final appearances. His sole goal across the threepeat era came in 2014 when he kicked the first major of the Hawks’ day against the Swans.
Luke Hodge
Average disposals across the three GFs: 28.7
Total goals: 3
Best performance: 2014 - 35 disposals, 12 marks and two goals
You don’t earn the nickname Mr September for nothing. Across the threepeat era, Hodge averaged a ridiculous 28.7 disposals and a goal per grand final. He became one of just three (now four) players in history to own two Norm Smith Medals when his 2014 performance was awarded a winning amount of 10 votes, while he was awarded two Normie votes in 2013 and 2015 as well.
Jordan Lewis
Average disposals across the three GFs: 29.7 disposals
Total goals: -
Best performance: 2014 – 37 disposals, eight marks and seven clearances
No one else in this cohort averaged more disposals than Jordan Lewis, who recorded a 37-possession outing to go with two 26-disposal games across the three years. His effort in 2014 saw him finish alongside Sam Mitchell with nine votes, with the pair trailing Hodge in the standings by a solitary nod.
Brian Lake
Average disposals across the three GFs: 19.7
Total goals: -
Best performance: 2013 – 22 disposals, 10 marks, five rebound 50s and nine one-percenters
Lake arrived at Waverley Park in 2013, spent the next three seasons here and departed at the end of 2015 with three premiership medallions. Lake was an integral part of the Hawks’ defensive line across these three years. His aerial dominance in 2013 demanded that he took home that year’s Norm Smith.
David Hale
Average disposals across the three GFs: 8.3
Total goals: 1
Best performance: 2013 – 12 disposal, seven marks and 11 hit-outs
Another recruit that was brought into the club to play a specific role and put the Hawks over the top of the rest of the competition. His grand final record perhaps doesn’t reflect just how valuable he was to the Hawks during this time. Retiring after the successful 2015 grand final, Hale finished his career with 237 games to his name and three premierships.
