We went through the alphabet one letter at a time categorising our Hawthorn players by not just their talent, but their surname too.

We considered premierships, accolades, and the number of games played, to come up with a select and prestigious crop of Hawks from throughout history.

You voted, and we counted.

Here is your complete A to Z of Hawthorn players.

A. Gary Ayres

Gary Ayres' playing career holds him in rare air. Only five other players in the history of the game have won more premierships than Ayres' five. Furthermore, he is one of only three players to have won the Norm Smith Medal twice, joining Andrew McLeod and Luke Hodge in this feat. Ayres built an incredibly successful career throughout his 269 games, the ninth greatest total in Hawthorn history. Ayres was named in the back pocket of Hawthorn's Team of the Century.

B. Dermott Brereton

Brilliant. Bustling. Brave. This King "B" was a symbol of the era he dominated. A five-time premiership player, best and fairest winner and now the centre half-forward of the Hawks Team of the Century, Brereton ruled the VFL landscape throughout his 11-year Hawthorn career. Kicking five goals on debut, Brereton kicked 427 majors throughout his time in the brown and gold, sitting him eighth on the club's all time list.

C. Shane Crawford

305. That's how many games this favourite son of Hawthorn had to play before he finally achieved the ultimate prize, an AFL premiership. This record stands as the most amount of games any player has had to wait before becoming a premiership player. Before then, Crawford had achieved virtually everything else. The 1999 Brownlow Medal, four All Australian honours, an AFLPA MVP, four Peter Crimmins Medals as well as being the captain of his beloved club for six years. In 2012, the hard-running midfielder was inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame, commemorating an incredible career which finished at the pinnacle of Australian sport.

D. Jason Dunstall

Only two others in the history of this great game have kicked more footballs through the two big sticks than this man. Kicking 1254 goals in his 269 games, Jason Dunstall was a goal kicking machine, averaging close to five goals a game on his career. Playing in an era that saw star full-forwards clash every week, Dunstall was arguably the most successful of them all. He boasts an incredible résumé which includes four premierships, an AFLPA MVP, three Coleman Medals, two All Australian honours, four club best and fairest awards, 12 club leading goal kicker awards, a forward pocket position in the Hawthorn Team of the Century and he also captained the Hawks for the final four years of his career. Enough said?

E. Rodney Eade

Known for his dash and speed, Eade played in a golden era for Hawthorn. The wingman won four premierships for the club throughout his 229 games, placing him 20th on the all-time games list. Wearing the number 26 which was previously made famous by fellow Tasmanian Peter Hudson, Eade was also given the honour of captaining the Tasmanian team which competed at the bicentennial Australian football carnival in Adelaide in 1988.

F. Lance Franklin

Arguably the most talented player the game has ever seen, Lance Franklin arrived at Hawthorn with the fifth pick of the 2004 draft and made an immediate impact on the footy world. In his nine years at Hawthorn, the number 23 was a constant delight for fans, kicking 580 goals in his 182 games at an average of well above three a game. He won two premierships, four All-Australian honours, two Coleman Medals, six club goal kicking awards and a Peter Crimmins Medal. His best season to date was the premiership year of 2008, where Buddy kicked 113 goals at an average of 4.5 a game.

G. Josh Gibson

Many football greats contend that winning the club best and fairest in a premiership year is the highest individual accolade the game has to offer. Josh Gibson has done it twice. A pivotal member of the historical Hawthorn threepeat, Gibson won the Peter Crimmins Medal in 2013 and 2015. This accomplishment enters Gibson into rarefied air at Hawthorn with only club legends Leigh Matthews and Jason Dunstall having achieved the same feat on multiple occasions. Renowned for his elite defensive capabilities, Gibson returns for season 2017, determined to help return the Hawks to the top of the competition.

H. Luke Hodge

The epitome of what the current dynasty has founded itself on, Luke Hodge personifies it all. Highly skilled, incredibly tough and a renowned leader, Hodge has built a reputation as a big-game player.  The former number one pick has led a career littered with incredible achievements: four premierships, captain of three of them, two Norm Smith Medals and two Peter Crimmins Medals among much, much more. In an acknowledgment of Hodge's greatness on the biggest stage, only two other players in the history of the game have won multiple Norm Smith Medals. Hodge's name sits comfortably in the conversation of the best ever Hawk.

  Watch highlights of Hodgey and teammates from the 2015 Premiership

J. Darren Jarman

Despite only playing five years at Hawthorn, Jarman's impact was still influential. Another 1991 premiership player, that season was his first at the Hawks. He was mightily impressive in his first year in Victoria, averaging 18 disposals and booting 41 goals. The South Australian product followed up the premiership year by gaining his first All Australian selection as centreman, hence consolidating his position as one of the game's best talents. His final year at the Hawks, 1995, was undoubtedly his best as he was selected in his second All Australian team, winning the Peter Crimmins Medal and finishing in second place to Sydney's Paul Kelly in the Brownlow Medal.  

K. Peter Knights

Widely regarded as one of the game's greatest ever centre half-backs, Peter Knights was a unique talent. Easily recognised by his high-flying marks and elite foot skills, Knights was fittingly awarded  the half-back flank position in Hawthorn's Team of the Century. Raised in the Victorian town of Longwarry, Knights began his 17-year career in the brown and gold in 1969. Showing his versatility, after a knee injury to Peter Hudson in the 1972 season, Knights was moved forward. Despite not playing the entire year up forward, he won the club's leading goal kicker award that year. Leading a career that could have potentially been even greater had it not been so constantly interrupted by injury, the three-time premiership player came close to winning two Brownlow medals, instead finishing runner-up in both 1976 and 1978. Knights' 264 game service to the league was deservedly recognised with his inductions to both the AFL and Hawthorn Hall of Fames. 

L. Chris Langford

Chris Langford began his career in 1983, playing on the wing and as a pinch-hitting second ruckman when required. It wasn’t until the 1985 retirements of both David O'Halloran and Peter Knights, that Langford was chosen to fill the massive voids left by the two great Hawk defenders. Two years later, Langford won All Australian honours at full back. Having anchored the four Hawk premierships between 1986 and 1991, Langford was voted captain in 1994 in a year that saw him collect his second All Australian call-up. Langford remains one of only seven Hawks to have played 300 games for the club.  

M. Leigh Matthews

Popularly referred to as "Lethal", there was nothing delicate or fancy about this Hawthorn hero. Feared by anyone that came across him, Matthews achieved virtually everything the game has to offer. Holding Legend status in both the AFL and Hawthorn Hall of Fames, Matthews is likely the most decorated player that has ever taken the football field. Four premierships, eight club best and fairest awards, a VFLPA MVP award (that has since been named after him), a Coleman Medal, a six-time club leading goal kicker,  club captain for six years and premiership captain among his spoils. Having also played the second most amount of games for the club and kicked the second most amount of goals, Matthews has etched his name as one of, if not, the greatest of all time.

N. Ron Nalder

Ron Nalder is the only man with the surname initial "N" to have played  100 or more games for Hawthorn. Nalder played 121 games for the club between 1959 and 1966. Predominantly a midfielder, the Maryborough local was one of two Hawthorn reserves in the triumphant 1961 grand final. His best year came in 1963, when he kicked 17 goals from his 19 games and played in the grand final side that lost to Geelong.

O. David O'Halloran

Throughout a nine year career with the Hawks, O'Halloran played 160 games and won two premierships. Affectionately known as "Rubber", he is remembered as a great defender and was named in the backline of the 1982 VFL Team of the Year. Recruited from Ivanhoe Grammar School, O'Halloran retired after the 1985 grand final loss to Essendon.

P. John Platten

Known as "The Rat" due to his diminutive frame and tangled, long hair, John Platten was a star on-baller for the Hawks throughout a golden era. A four-time premiership player, he is one of only five Hawks to have won a Brownlow. Hailing from the Central Districts in the SANFL, Platten enjoyed a 12-year career in the brown and gold in between stints at his local club. Among other career achievements, The Rat won two Peter Crimmins Medals, the Brownlow Medal in 1987 and is a five-time VFL Team of the Year/ All Australian member. Platten's impact on the sport has been recognised by his inductions into the AFL, SANFL and Hawthorn Hall of Fames.

Q, R. Cyril Rioli

A regular fixture on any given highlights reel and a fan favourite at the Ricoh Centre, Cyril Rioli's career has been nothing short of extraordinary.  Quickly earning a spot in the Hawks forward line, Rioli had an immediate impact upon being taken with pick 12 in the 2007 draft, playing 25 games and becoming a premiership player in his debut season. In the eight seasons since then, Rioli has added three more premiership medals, the 2015 Norm Smith Medal and three All Australian honours, going back-to-back in the last two years. Recently, the superstar signed a contract that extends his stay in the brown and gold until 2020, meaning Hawks fans have a lot more Cyril magic to look forward to.

  Watch Isaac Smith commentate Cyril’s highlights

S. Don Scott

Scott was a fierce competitor who used his weight and aggression at the ball to become one of the most feared ruckmen of his era. A Box Hill recruit who was relatively short for a ruckman, he nevertheless made up for his lack of height with superb fitness levels and a competitive approach. Scott skippered the Hawks from 1976 until 1980, winning two premierships in this time. He won the club’s best and fairest award in 1973. He stands at sixth on the all-time Hawks games record holders list with his 302 games. Scott's impact on the game was recognised when he was awarded the ruckman position in the Hawthorn Team of the Century.

T. Michael Tuck

This man holds more records than his surname does letters. The most ever premierships won by a player- seven. The most grand final appearances - 11. The most finals games played 39. The most games won- 302. The most games ever played in guernsey number 17- 426. And, of course, up until this year, Tuck held the record for most games played. Needless to say, Tuck's career highlights were all underlined by an incredible sense of longevity and success. Lean and wiry, Tuck was deceptively strong and, coupled with his ball handling and running abilities, he formed the perfect midfield component alongside Don Scott and Leigh Matthews. Tuck would later be named in the Hawthorn Team of the Century followers position alongside these two Hawks heroes. Tuck captained his club for six years, raising the premiership cup on four occasions throughout this period. Tuck also made two All Australian teams in 1979 and 1983.

U, V. Richard Vandenberg

Having narrowly missed out on a golden era at Hawthorn, few would expect Vandenberg to be held in such a high regard when it comes to those four premierships in the last nine seasons. Yet many, including current club captain Jarryd Roughead, have attributed that success back to the culture instilled by this three-year captain. One of Alastair Clarkson's first acts as Hawks senior coach was choosing Vandenberg as Shane Crawford's successor, citing that him as a man who was "very forthright, honest and of great integrity". Vandenberg finished his career at the Hawks in 2007, having spent ten years at the club and playing 145 games.

W. Terry Wallace

Nicknamed "Plough" for his tough, crashing playing style, Wallace carved out a nine-year career with the Hawks, playing 174 games. A leading midfielder of his time, Wallace, whose original club was Camberwell in the VFA, became a dual All Australian in the brown and gold. A three-time premiership player, Wallace also won two Peter Crimmins Medals, including one in the premiership year of 1983.

Y. Clinton Young

Clinton Young had very similar Hawthorn credentials to Youren. Also a highly-skilled wingman, he too played eight years in the brown and gold, while reaching two grand finals and winning one premiership medallion. Furthermore, Young only slightly shades Youren's game total, having played 137 games for the club. Having been drafted with pick 18 in the 2005 rookie draft, Young's career is a rare success story for those that have come from the rookie list.