HAWTHORN has locked away gun forward Luke Breust, with the possibility of further success the driving force behind his decision to sign a two-year contract extension.
Not due to come out of contract until the end of next season, Breust is now signed up at Hawthorn until at least the end of 2017.
There was no hesitation, Breust says, in committing to the Hawks again before the expiration of his current contract, declaring he’s keen to repay the faith the Hawks showed in him as a rookie.
“I was more than happy to do that (sign early), Hawthorn have been exceptional for me from the start,” he told hawthornfc.com.au
“Coming off the rookie list I’ve only really had one-year contracts so they showed faith in me and I’m more than happy to show some faith back in the Club and sign for a few more years.
“There are some exciting times ahead at Hawthorn.”
Breust is one of a number of Hawks to sign contract extensions this year, joining teammates Jarryd Roughead, Jack Gunston, Bradley Hill, Will Langford and Angus Litherland, while Ben Stratton, Grant Birchall, Cyril Rioli, Matt Suckling, Paul Puopolo and Isaac Smith were among those to commit last year.
Shaun Burgoyne, Sam Mitchell and David Hale have also committed for season 2015 but it is the commitment of the emerging stars, Breust says, that has given him the confidence the Hawks are in for more success in the near future.
“It’s great for the Club and great for the players,” he said.
“There are a lot of guys who have come through together and being able to stick together over the last few years, it means we’ve got a good group of emerging leaders who can step up once the older guys do finish their careers.
“There are guys who can slot into their roles as leaders and then the rest of us can continue to rise with them.
“It’s just a great club, very proud club with a great history.
“The culture at this footy club is very good as well so if we can keep all that together and keep the players together, I’m sure we can have continued success over the next few years.
“That’s why I’ve re-signed. I love the guys here, everyone gets along really well so I love coming here every day to train and try and get better.”
Luke Breust celebrates kicking a goal in last year's Grand Final.
Breust is one of Hawthorn’s biggest success stories after plucking the now gun small forward as a speculative selection with pick 47 in the 2009 Rookie Draft.
He had to wait until 2011 to earn his chance but he took it with both hands, playing 17 games and kicking 30 goals in his debut season before being upgraded to the primary list as reward for his development.
Breust had a breakout year in 2012, booting 45 goals from 24 games before becoming a key member of Hawthorn’s premiership 22 last year.
But his performances in 2014 have been a step up again and a new contract is reward for what could be an All Australian season.
He has achieved a career-high for goals with 52 for the year and established himself as one of the most reliable set shot converters, having booted just 10 behinds for the season.
It’s a confidence game, he says, and without the hard work on his routine over the pre-season, becoming known for his reliability in front of goal wouldn’t have been possible.
“To do a bit of work on it over the pre-season and take it into games and do what I’ve been able to do is probably the most pleasing thing,” he said of his goal kicking practice.
“Confidence with goal kicking is a huge thing and to start the year well, it’s funny how it just rolls on from there.
“The year before or even the year before that you can get into a bit of a rut if you miss a few and it quickly saps your confidence.
“Confidence is a big part of goal kicking.”
While he’s no doubt enjoying the success of his game this year, it is the opportunity to achieve team success that is what’s ultimately driving him.
“Everyone plays footy for finals and to try and win premierships,” Breust said.
“The next month of footy is going to be very exciting and I’m looking forward to it. I can’t wait for September.”
