THE FIRST time it happened, Luke Breust wondered what the hell he'd done wrong.
Every time the AFL forward has a possession or kicks a goal, Hawthorn fans bellow his surname.
But the 21-year-old needed a couple of times to work out it was a term of endearment from the Hawks faithful, just as Carlton fans used to yell "woof" every time Val Perovic had a kick.
"I definitely hear it now - early on I probably didn't realise what they were doing," Breust said.
"If anything, I probably get a little bit of a lift from it, especially if you kick straight in front of goal - that helps.
"I initially thought they were booing me and I was wondering what I'd done wrong, but I soon realised.
"I think I was my third game, I took a mark late and realised what they were doing."
Breust keeps giving Hawthorn fans plenty of opportunities to exercise their lungs.
After making his debut last season with 30 goals in 17 games, Breust has done even better with 43 goals in 23 matches.
He kicked two goals in last week's nail-biting preliminary final win over Adelaide.
Now Breust is in his first AFL grand final, playing against the side which overlooked him.
Raised in the NSW Riverina town of Temora, Breust played AFL and rugby league.
He trialled with NRL side North Queensland, but was never going to be big enough.
Breust was also on the Swans' recruiting radar, but he concedes when he was about to leave school he was not ready for the AFL.
He eventually went to Hawthorn in the 2009 rookie draft.
"They gave me an opportunity and I've repaid the faith," Breust said.
Weighing only 70kg when he joined the Hawks, Breust has added 10kg to his frame and steadily developed his football.
After being dropped for last year's semi-final and then the heartbreaking preliminary final loss to Collingwood, he has ensured there would be no repeat of that disappointment this September.
"It's a fantastic opportunity and I've dreamt about it since I was a little kid," Breust said of Saturday's premiership decider.
"It means a fair bit to me."
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