Here at Hawthorn, we understand that AFL is a team game. Each player, coach and official is but a cog in the wheel of a well-oiled machine, chugging towards success.

But over the next 11 days, we’re forgetting about the team achievements and throwing the spotlight on individuals. 

Here’s the question; which Hawk has the most impressive trophy case of all time? 

Each accolade has been given a weighting (see bottom of page), and the numbers have been crunched to see who comes out on top. 

Follow along each day on hawthornfc.com.au, as we slowly reveal Hawthorn’s Ultimate Trophy Cabinet.

Let's start with those who narrowly missed out on our top 20...

25^th: Ian Law – 60 points

24^th: Chris Mew – 61 points

23^rd: Russell Greene – 62 points

22^nd: Cyril Rioli – 64 points

21^st: Bert Mills – 65 points

20^th

Rounding out our top 20 of Hawthorn’s best individual trophy cabinets of all time is 60’s superstar John Peck.

After achieving the ultimate team success in 1961 as a member of Hawthorn’s inaugural premiership side, Peck went on to win a hat-trick of Coleman Medals between 1963-1965, booting 199 majors during this period.

Peck was inducted into Hawthorn’s Hall of Fame in 2009, alongside fellow stars Dermott Brereton and Peter Crimmins.

With 75 points, Peck has the 20^th best trophy cabinet in Hawk history. 

Watch: 2009 Hall of Fame inductee John Peck

19^th

While John Kennedy Snr was the ultimate club and team man, he was certainly not short on individual accolades either.

Kennedy captained the club for five seasons, and won four Hawthorn best and fairest trophies.

After incredible playing and coaching careers with the Hawks, Kennedy was elevated to Legend status within the club’s Hall of Fame, and is one of only eight Hawks to receive the honour.

After winning three premierships as coach, Kennedy was also named to lead Hawthorn’s Team of the Century. A statue recognising ‘Kanga’s’ significant contribution to the Hawthorn Football Club still stands outside the club’s headquarters at Waverley Park.

Kennedy comes in at 19^th, with 81 points in our trophy cabinet countdown.

Watch: Kennedy, a legend 

17^th

From Colemans to All Australian guernseys, a man named Lance ‘Buddy’ Franklin has achieved just about all there is to achieve in our game.

During his tenure in the brown and gold No.23 jumper, Franklin earned himself two Coleman Medals, four All Australian selections, two premierships, and was Hawthorn’s leading goal kicker on six occasions.

He comes in at equal 17^th in our Ultimate Trophy Cabinet search, with 83 points to his name.

 Watch: An outstanding Franklin performance

17^th

Tied with Franklin is a man that also knows how to find the middle sticks when it matters – Gary Buckenara.

Famous for his after-the-siren kick in 1987 to put the Hawks into the grand final, ‘Bucky’ booted 293 goals from 154 games during his time at Hawthorn. He was also an integral member of the ’83, ’86, ’88 and ’89 premiership sides.

His achievements were duly recognised when Buckenara was named on the half forward flank of Hawthorn’s Team of the Century, an accolade worth 18 points on its own based on our ‘Ultimate Trophy Cabinet’ criteria.

He finishes with 83 points, tied for 17^th place.

Watch: 2010 Hall of Fame inductee Gary Buckenara

16^th

Let’s take it back another decade to when Kelvin Moore was running around at full back and wreaking havoc for the competition. 

Moore was the second Hawk to reach the elusive 300 games milestone, which he did so with his final game in 1984.

He is widely considered one of the best full backs to ever grace the sport, and was recognised in this position in Hawthorn’s Team of the Century.

He received one All Australian guernsey, one club best and fairest award, and a casual three premierships during his time at Glenferrie.

According to our data, Moore has the 16^th best individual trophy cabinet in Hawk history, finishing with 87 points.

15^th

If we were talking about the Hawks’ Ultimate Moustache, this man would come in at number one, without competition. But, the Big Dipper will have to settle with 15^th in terms of trophy cases, after the data crunch revealed 91 points to his name. 

Just about every accolade there is to win in our sport, Robert DiPierDomenico has won it. Five premierships, a Brownlow Medal, three VFL Team of the Year (though unfortunately only ‘All Australian’ has been recognised in our tally), a place on the wing in Hawthorn’s Team of the Century and a nod in the Australian Football Hall of Fame.

91 points for the Big Dipper. 

Watch: 2008 Hall of Fame inductee Robert DiPierdomenico

14^th 

Another from the lucrative 80s era, there were few more courageous nor outrageous than our ‘Dermie’ on the field.

Dermott Brereton played in four of the same five premierships as his moustached teammate, before adding a further premiership medallion in 1991.

He topped the club’s best and fairest count in 1985, and was recognised as an All Australian the same year.

Like ‘Dipper’, Brereton’s accolades haven’t stopped since hanging up the boots, as he was recognised as centre half forward in Hawthorn’s Team of the Century, before being inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame.

Brereton earns 93 points in our countdown and comes in at No.14. 

Watch: 2009 Hall of Fame inductee Dermott Brereton

13^th 

Don Scott just pipped teammate Moore in becoming the Hawks’ first 300-gamer, and he’s pipped him again by a mere nine points in our trophy cabinet countdown. 

Scott played 302 games for the Hawks between 1967-1981, and captained the club for five seasons between 1976-1980. 

The accolades certainly haven’t stopped since hanging up with the boots, with Scott recognised as the ruckman in Hawthorn’s Team of the Century, before being inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 2001.

The triple-premiership player’s influence in the brown and gold is still being felt, since Scott headed “Operation Payback” to prevent the Hawks from merging with Melbourne in 1996.

With 96 points, Scott comes in at 13th.

12^th 

A veteran of 303 games, Chris Langford boasts quite the trophy cabinet - worthy of 104 points in our countdown.

After beginning his career in 1983, Langford would soon own four-premierships medallions after helping the Hawks to victory in 1986, ’88, ’89 and ’91.

In 1994, he was named the club’s captain, and was awarded his lone All-Australian Guernsey that that same year.

The accolades continued post-playing days for Langford with induction into both the Hawthorn and AFL Halls of Fame, while he was also handed a spot on the interchange bench in the club’s Team of the Century.

Watch: 2007 Hall of Fame inductee Chris Langford 

11^th

Five premierships and two Norm Smith Medals makes it no surprise that Gary Ayres is high up in the ranks of Hawthorn trophy cabinets with 106 points.

Renowned for his toughness, Ayres won the first of those premierships in 1983 at the age of 22, before going on to claim four more between ’86 and ’91. 

The defender was voted best afield in the ’86 and ’88 grand finals to earn himself two ‘Normies’. 

Ayres captained the club in his final two years before retiring after 269 games, and was later named in the back pocket in the Hawks’ Team of the Century, as well as both the club and the AFL’s Hall of Fame. 

Watch: 2007 Hall of Fame Inductee Gary Ayres 

Trophy Cabinet key:

*Only award points if player hasn’t received AFL HoF

^Only award points if player is in final 22  

** Despite being a team achievement, we felt it was important to still include premierships, but with considerable less weighting than other individual achievements.