Dear members and supporters,

Now the dust has settled and celebrations have officially concluded, I hope you have had an opportunity to reflect on our Club's achievement this season.

Firstly, I wanted to say thank you to our 63,353 members for your support, encouragement and investment in our Club this year. Your involvement in helping our Club achieve its eleventh premiership cannot be understated. We were privileged to be able to celebrate the win with the 20,000-plus supporters who came along to Glenferrie Oval on the Sunday after the grand final and the thousands of Hawks fans in Hobart, Launceston and Devonport on the Monday. Thank you.

As we learned last year, premierships are so hard to win and it takes a huge team effort for us to achieve our goals.

I would again like to congratulate Alastair Clarkson and his coaching group for their commitment to excellence, ability to innovate and their hard work and dedication in season 2013. I would also like to acknowledge the families of the coaches and Football department staff, who make so many sacrifices for our Club throughout the year.

Credit must also go to the entire playing squad, as all 45 players contributed to making 2013 a successful season on-field for our Club.From the Box Hill Development side who were narrowly beaten in overtime of their grand final, to players who comprised the VFL and AFL premiership sides: all have worn the brown and gold with distinction.

I must also acknowledge those who are rehabilitating from long-term injury: Matthew Suckling, Alex Woodward, Ryan Schoenmakers and Brendan Whitecross. While we may not have seen much of these four young men on-field in 2013, their commitment to our team and the roles they have played behind the scenes to contribute to our success has been selfless and admirable. While to them it might seem like empty words now, I'm sure they will get their chance in coming years.

I think you would agree that one of the most pleasing aspects of the 2013 premiership is that Luke Hodge will now go into the annals of Hawthorn Football Club history as a premiership captain. It is as if it was always meant to be. I am not only proud that Luke, along with Alastair, held the cup up on that last day in September, but I am equally impressed that in our Club's premiership year our captain was awarded Best Clubman for the important and valuable role he plays in supporting our Club's community programs. He is truly an extraordinary leader and sets an outstanding example both on- and off-field for all young Hawks supporters and footy fans across the country.

I would also like to pass on my thanks and appreciation to the administration staff and volunteers, who have worked so diligently over the past month and especially in the weeks after the grand final. I always say that good people are the backbone of any good organisation and I am proud to say we have some of the best working at Hawthorn FC. The staff's willingness to chip in where required and work a great deal of hours with little fanfare is simply the Hawthorn way.

At this time of year we experience a certain amount of player, coach and personnel movement across clubs. We have said goodbye to premiership players Brent Guerra, Michael Obsorne and Max Bailey and while each of them have been excellent footballers first and foremost, it is their personal values and off-field contributions that will be their greatest legacies.

In this new landscape of free agency we have seen several quality players depart and we wish Lance Franklin, Xavier Ellis and Shane Savage all the best as they continue their careers elsewhere, while we warmly welcome Ben McEvoy to our Club. Our best wishes are also extended to Adam Simpson who takes on the senior coaching role at West Coast Eagles. While we're disappointed to see good coaches leave our Club, we are proud to have played a part in Adam's development and wish him and his family well for the challenge ahead.

Adam's appointment, like Leon Cameron's and Damien Hardwick's before him, is a positive reflection on our coaching development program and the culture and standards set at Hawthorn Football Club under Alastair Clarkson and Chris Fagan. It is this investment in development that has enabled Cameron Bruce, Damian Carroll, Marco Bello and Adem Yze to gain new positions within the Football department and we wish them well in their new roles.

Finally, I would like to assure you that while we have celebrated and enjoyed our win and thanked and acknowledged all those who have contributed to our achievements this season, we begin now to shift our focus towards next season.

With the release of the 2014 fixture at the end of October, we are reminded just how close the new season is and that the achievements of September become the past fairly quickly. With the new season will come new challenges, opportunities, pressures and prospects.

We will rest, regenerate and relaunch our 2014 campaign with hunger and an understanding of the enormous amount of work that goes into putting ourselves into a position to win a premiership, and the fierce desire to do it all again.

We look forward to sharing the journey with you.

Yours humbly,
Andrew Newbold.